Statement from Regional Chair on strong partnerships among Durham and the eight local municipalities

Whitby, Ontario – The following statement is being issued on behalf of John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for The Regional Municipality of Durham:

“Despite the recent provincial announcement about changes to the structure of the Region of Peel, there have been no concerns raised about the size or structure of The Regional Municipality of Durham.

Our Region, and the eight local municipalities, have a productive and strong track record of working together to serve our residents. Together, we provide the backbone of service delivery in a two-tier structure that ensures services are planned, funded and delivered in a cost-effective manner; and on a large geographic scale.

This co-operation and accountability allow us to avoid duplication of efforts. Together, we maintain Durham’s reputation as a community where equitable, high-quality services are available to everyone.

Durham is about partnerships. Municipal representatives who work together to help preserve the strong connection we have to our hometowns. A place where we work to create clearly defined regional and local roles and responsibilities; processes that strengthen governance and service delivery in our communities.

We have all made continuous improvement part of our core business, and we will keep working together to address common challenges.

In 2019, the province announced a Regional government review; a process that concluded a short time later. In November 2022, the topic came up again—this time during a provincial announcement about appointing a facilitator to review the efficiency of regional governments. Today’s announcement about Peel made reference to the facilitators once again; noting someone will work with each of the eight upper tier levels of government. As Durham is an upper tier, we will likely be involved in this exercise.

The Region and local municipalities continue to work together to help prepare for meetings with facilitators. We look forward to speaking with them about housing responsibilities within Durham Region, and all of the work that is done to ensure we remain a location of choice for residents and businesses.”

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For media requests, please contact CorporateCommunications@durham.ca.