To amalgamate or not? Brant County and Brantford mayors pick sides

Bad blood over amalgamation debate in Brant The mayors of Brantford and Brant County are getting fired up over the issue of amalgamation. Spencer Turcotte explains.

The mayors of Brant County and Brantford are at odds over the idea of amalgamation.

In a social media post on Jan. 2, Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis announced he had asked city staff to “explore the potential of amalgamation between the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.”

He said the goal was to find the most efficient ways to deliver services, including the responsibilities that have historically been shared between the two municipalities, such as housing, paramedics and recreation.

In particular, Davis mentioned concerns over transportation to connect West Brant with Highway 403 and other parts of Brantford.

“Currently, more than 30 per cent of those using the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Pool are County of Brant residents, as there is no indoor pool in the county,” he wrote. “However, county residents do not contribute through their property taxes to the annual $1.5 million operating deficit for this facility. This creates an imbalance where city taxpayers are covering the costs of this shared resource.”

All visitors, regardless of if they come from the city or the county, pay fees for passes to access the pool.

The county also noted they host several ice pads, indoor turf at the Syl Apps Community Centre, an outdoor pool and splash pads.

In an email, Mayor Bailey said, “I’m certain that many City of Brantford residents go beyond their borders for recreation opportunities.”

Some business owners can see the potential pros and cons.

“Paris relies on tourism. It’s a hub now of restaurants and shops,” Matt Cummings, Chair of the Downtown Paris BIA and owner of two restaurants, told CTV News. “It certainly has to be treated that way, because if we go the way of downtown Brantford, then beautiful downtown Paris is gone.”

County responds

The day after Davis announced his plans to examine the idea of amalgamation, the county’s mayor responded with a strongly worded letter of his own.

“The County of Brant is a prosperous, growing and thriving community. It is not particularly surprising that Mayor Davis would like to be a part of what we have here; however, his tactics are unproductive and misguided. There is nothing thoughtful or collaborative about this approach,” Brant County Mayor David Bailey wrote on social media.

“I will repeat, that the County Brant is unequivocally opposed to consideration of amalgamation with the City of Brantford. It is interesting that Mayor Davis states that such consideration needs to be based on facts, as many of the statements he makes are factually incorrect and/or blatantly false.”

In his initial post, Davis accused the county of refusing to work collaboratively through the former Joint Services Committee.

Brant County withdrew from the Joint Services Committee in May 2024, citing staff capacity constraints.

Davis said the county “refused to further participate in elected officials reviewing an expansion of the services to be provided jointly or cooperatively.”

Bailey disputed that notion in his post.

“To say the city was rebuffed by the county when it comes to Joint Services is categorically false. Because Mayor Davis did not get what he wanted (land), out of the committee structure does not translate into the county being uncooperative.”

Bailey went on to write: “Simply put, not every problem which the city wants to address is the responsibility of the county to solve and vice versa.”

“Moreover, meaningful partnerships are moored in mutual respect, civility and equity. The county will not be strong-armed into initiatives simply because the city wants them.”

In an emailed statement to CTV News on Tuesday, Davis stood behind his assertion.

“As part of this process, the history of the County of Brant’s hesitance, resistance and, at times, outright refusal to collaborate with the city will inevitably come to light,” he wrote.

He also accused the county of refusing to join in provincial delegations to advocate for a new hospital.

In an emailed statement on Wednesday, the County of brant said the city never invited them to participate in the delegation with them regarding the new hospital.

War of words

Their opposing views show just how far apart the two mayors are, despite sharing a boundary line.

“The county respectfully suggests that rather than spending taxpayer money on creating a one-sided business case to take over his neighbour, Mayor Davis could focus on truly making the region more successful by investing in the existing shared services which need attention,” Bailey wrote.

Davis, meanwhile, expressed his frustration.

“I must admit that I am disappointed that instead of focusing on the critical issues our constituents care about, Mayor Bailey has chosen to again make personal and unconstructive remarks regarding my leadership and character. We have important work to do, and that should remain our focus.”