c) Warden's Letter to Minister of Municipal Affairs re City Boundary Adjustment Proposal - December 1999

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December 1, 1999 Correspondence Continued... page 2 challenges for representatives of the councils making up municipal government in the County. As a result, the County adopted a comprehensive facilitation process directed to finding a common solution. On July 16, 1997, the Council of the County of Essex adopted a resolution accepting a restructtmng of the County from the then existing twenty one mumcipalities to seven local governments. This proposal was placed before the Councils of each of the twenty one local mumcipalities and received the endorsement of sixteen of them. This endorsement substantially exceeded the requirements of the restructuring provisions of the Municipal Act. On November 19, 1997, the Mimster of Municipal Affairs, the Honourable A1 Leach, issued a Minister's Order putting in place the new municipal structure for the County of Essex. During the month of November, 1998, elections were held for the councils for the seven new municipalities (from which the members of a new County Council were drawn). With this election the number of local councillors was reduced from 117 to 51. The County Council was reduced from 42 to 25 and finally to its current 14 members. On Janua,-y 1, 1999, the Minister's Order was implemented and the County fully restructured. It has been generally accepted by local and County representatives, and supported by the public, that the restructuring of the County of Essex was based on a reasonable balancing of the restructuring principles identified by the provincial govemment including: i) Less government ii) effective representation system; iii) best value for taxpayer's dollars; iv) ability to provide municipal services from mumcipal resources; and v) supportive environment for job creation, investment and economic growth. Since the implementation of the Minister's Order the County and its local municipalities have continued to put into practice the directive found in these restructuring principles. The County and its local municipalities have worked hard to continue to deliver cost effective and responsive mumcipal services, and have, by way of example: - nearly completed the process of rationalizing the mumcipal buildings and consolidating the operations of the seven new mumcipalities; - the County has undertaken, with the assistance of a private land use planning firm, Prince and Hillman Ltd., the preparation of its first official plan; - the County has undertaken, with the assistance of a private engineering firm, KMK Consultants Limited, a comprehensive review concerning the long term provision of hard services to the Towns of LaSalle, Lakeshore and Tecumseh; and