Borough councils?

[c_speed3108]

Any thoughts anyone?

Task force to mull empowering Ottawa communities

Last Updated: Monday, April 7, 2008 | 9:48 AM ET
CBC News


A group of experts will look at ways Ottawa residents can have more say on issues in their own parts of the city, possibly by adding another layer of government, Mayor Larry O'Brien said on the weekend.

Speaking at a summit of rural residents, O'Brien said a task force on governance will begin work in May and finish in June, providing recommendations that will come before city councillors this fall, along with a report on the topic from city staff.

Council could make a decision by January, he said.

Rural Ottawa residents have argued that since their communities were amalgamated with urban communities to form the City of Ottawa in 2001, city council has failed to recognize the different needs of rural and urban dwellers.

In the past, rural residents have pushed for de-amalgamation, but at the rural summit on the weekend, many were considering other solutions.

Rideau-Goulburn Coun. Glen Brooks told the summit he wants the city to try a borough system, a local governance model used in Montreal, New York City and London.

Under such a system, Ottawa would be divided into regions, each headed by a ward council that would make decisions on local issues.

"Communities ought to govern communities on local issues," Brooks said. "In other words, empower the people who live in those communities to make decisions, and live with those decisions."

The mayor said council needs more information about boroughs and other local governance structures before making a decision, hence the task force and request for a staff report.

[the capital urbanite]

we just finished getting rid of such a system...

Instead of bringing back a de facto RMOC let's see if we can tweak the current governance structure without a costly overhaul.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Also, didn't Larry O'Brien get elected on his stance of government and how he wanted to "trim the fat" so to speak?

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

Also, didn't Larry O'Brien get elected on his stance of government and how he wanted to "trim the fat" so to speak?

Well if it can be done properly, meaning that many questions wouldn't go before council, I would be all for it. You can indead add more responsabilities to these boroughs, but Montréal is a bad examples, basically it only serves as an intermediate step before going to the bigger council. Such an example is something NOT to follow.