Cambridge councillor considering secession

Councillor wants Cambridge to separate from Waterloo Region From CTV Kitchener's Max Wark: Why Nicholas Ermeta thinks now is the time to think about secession.

With municipal elections approaching along with fall, one Cambridge councillor seeking re-election is proposing a big idea.

Nicholas Ermeta has proposed the secession of Cambridge from the Region of Waterloo.

“It’s about bringing the decisions closer to the people,” he said.

Though a municipal lawyer explained that the move would technically be possible, it would not come easily.

“Even though Cambridge may have had issues with regional government in the past several decades, they can’t create a bylaw and just decide to separate from the Region of Waterloo,” said municipal lawyer Eric Davis.

Other considerations for secession would include police services, waste-management, and an interconnected services system.

Cambridge owns the water pipes beneath its roads, for example, but the city provides the water.

Ermeta proposed a municipal services board to help smooth the transition of over 40 years of connected infrastructure.

That idea, however, would require all seven municipalities that make up the region to be on board.