Niagara Regional Councillor Haley Bateman Proposes Governance Accountability And A “New Deal For Niagara”

A News Release from Haley Councillor, a Niagara Regional Councillor elected in St. Catharines

Posted April 14^th, 2026 on Nagara At Large

A Brief Foreword Note by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – I am posting the following News Release and the full text of a motion, to be tabled as soon as this April 15th at Niagara Region’s corporate services committee by Niagara Regional Councillor Haley Batemen because it matters so much in terms of addressing the soaring property taxes so many of us have been paying in Niagara over the past four years. Haley Bateman, in my view, is one of the few progressive voices on any municipal council in Niagara who has the courage to stand up to what the Ford government is going to make life in our communities more costly and less democratic. I urge you to contact your representatives of Niagara Regional Council and ask them to support this important motion.

NIAGARA REGION, ON – Niagara Regional Councillor Haley Bateman is raising concerns regarding recent governance decisions and growing financial pressures facing the Region, calling for greater accountability, transparency, and a renewed fiscal relationship with senior levels of government.

Bateman’s comments follow recent communications (letters) issued in relation to the A Better Municipal Governance Act, which she says were developed without proper Council involvement and contradict previously approved motions.

“This is a matter of process and governance,” said Bateman.

“These letters were released following Regional Council meetings and stand in direct contrast to motions that were clearly passed by Council. They were issued without fulsome discussion and without direction from this body. If we had been consulted, I hope that this is the direction we would have taken. It’s not too late to advocate for the residents of Niagara. If these changes are approved, Niagara will be a Conservative Government, full stop.”

Bateman emphasized that none of Niagara’s Regional Councillors have been formally engaged in discussions regarding a new governance model for Niagara.

“Not one member of this Council has been asked to participate in shaping what a new regional governance model should look like,” she said.

“That shows a lack of respect for the work and advocacy of every member around this table.”

She added that governance decisions must remain rooted in Council authority:

“Council must be at the center of decisions that fundamentally shape how this Region operates. This is not just a process issue; it is a governance issue. We are residents of Niagara and had we been consulted, we would have had the opportunity to clearly identify how municipalities are being underfunded by both the provincial and federal governments. And neither level of government wants that. Removing us from the equation appears to be how the Province is choosing to deal with this.”

Beyond governance concerns, Bateman highlighted the growing financial strain facing Niagara municipalities, describing it as a structural imbalance.

“Niagara is facing a structural fiscal challenge. We are being asked to deliver more services, in more complex areas, without the financial support required from provincial and federal partners,” she said.

“And increasingly, those costs are being downloaded onto the municipal tax levy.”

Bateman pointed to significant financial impacts resulting from Bill 23, including an estimated $84 million loss in development charge revenue in 2023 and $52 million in 2024.

“Those costs don’t disappear—they are shifted onto property taxpayers, deferred, or added to municipal debt.”

She also noted rising costs across critical services:

• Multi-million dollar annual increases in housing and homelessness support
• Paramedic services are operating above intended cost-sharing levels while supporting over 14 million annual visitors
• Transit systems requiring tens of millions in tax support due to low fare recovery
• A $2.76 billion infrastructure backlog with an annual shortfall of nearly $400 million

“I believe we are responsible for up to 60 percent of infrastructure, yet receive only 9 to 10 percent of the revenue tools needed to fund it. That imbalance is not sustainable.”

Bateman highlighted pressures from major services, including the Niagara Regional Police Service, which accounts for nearly 39 percent of the Region’s operating budget, and increased reliance on municipal funding for organizations like the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

“Provincially mandated services like public health and policing continue to grow in cost, while supportive funding has not kept pace with inflation. It is placing an unreasonable burden on local taxpayers.”

Niagara’s unique role as a major tourism and trade corridor further intensifies these pressures. The Region welcomes approximately 14 million visitors annually and generates an estimated $3 billion in tourism-related economic activity, while also serving as a key border crossing between Canada and the United States.

“Niagara is not just another municipality; we are a critical economic driver for Ontario and Canada. Yet municipalities are left carrying a disproportionate share of the costs required to sustain that success.”

In response, Bateman is calling for a comprehensive review of the provincial-municipal fiscal framework and a new approach to funding municipalities.

“Niagara needs a new deal, and this must be our top priority,” she said.

“We need a system that reflects the realities of what municipalities are being asked to deliver and ensures we have the tools to do it sustainably.”

The motion calls on the Province of Ontario, in partnership with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, to review municipal responsibilities and revenue tools, and urges the federal government to expand direct, long-term funding to municipalities in line with recommendations from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The motion will be circulated to provincial and federal leaders, as well as Niagara-area municipalities, for support.

The motion has been formally submitted to Niagara Regional Council and is scheduled for consideration at the Corporate Services Committee meeting on Wednesday, April 15 at 9:30 a.m.

MOTION A New Deal for Niagara

Moved by Councillor Haley Bateman

Seconded by (Fort Erie Mayor and Niagara Regional) Councillor Wayne Redekop

WHEREAS the Niagara Region is a critical economic driver within Ontario and Canada, and a globally recognized tourism destination, welcoming approximately 14 million visitors annually(Niagara Falls Tourism/Ontario’s Destination Niagara) and generating approximately $3 billion in tourism-related economic activity; and

WHEREAS the Niagara Region is one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the U.S. and is bounded on 3 sides by water, which increases vehicular traffic traversing Niagara and policing and rescue responsibilities for our municipalities; and

WHEREAS Niagara’s visitor economy and border location place unique and sustained pressures on regional and local infrastructure, including roads, waste management (Public Works), transit (Niagara Transit), policing (Niagara Regional Police), paramedic services (Niagara EMS), waterand wastewater systems, and public spaces; and

WHEREAS Niagara municipalities are responsible for delivering essential services that support both residents and visitors, while relying only on property tax revenues that do not scale with tourism or trade corridor demands; and

WHEREAS the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has identified that Ontario’s current provincial-municipal fiscal framework is unsustainable, citing ongoing provincial downloading and a structural mismatch between municipal responsibilities and available revenue tools; and

WHEREAS AMO has called for a comprehensive review of municipal service delivery

responsibilities (“who does what”) and the development of new fiscal tools to ensure municipalities can meet growing service demands; and

WHEREAS the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has advocated for a modernized federal-municipal partnership, including predictable, long-term infrastructure funding, expanded housing investments, and direct federal engagement with municipalities to address national priorities; and

WHEREAS Niagara Region is experiencing increasing financial pressures related to housing affordability, homelessness, transit expansion, climate adaptation, and state-of-good-repair infrastructure, all of which are compounded by population growth and visitor impacts; and

WHEREAS the economic benefits generated by Niagara’s tourism sector and commercial trade significantly contribute to provincial and federal revenues, yet municipalities bear a disproportionate share of the costs required to sustain this economic activity; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

1. THAT Niagara Regional Council calls upon the Province of Ontario to initiate, in partnership with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), a comprehensive review of the provincial-municipal fiscal framework, including a reassessment of municipal service responsibilities; the elimination or mitigation of ongoing provincial downloading; the identification of new, sustainable municipal revenue tools, with the Region of Niagara as the pilot;

2. THAT Niagara Regional Council advocates for a “New Deal for Niagara” that recognizes the Region’s unique role as Canada’s leading tourism destination and includes dedicated, predictable funding for tourism-supporting infrastructure; investment in regional transit and transportation networks; all emergency services; public health; support for housing and homelessness initiatives; revenue-sharing mechanisms that reflect visitor-driven economic activity;

3. THAT the Province of Ontario be requested to ensure that any future transfer of responsibilities to municipalities is accompanied by full and ongoing funding in line with inflation;

4. THAT the Government of Canada, consistent with recommendations from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), be requested to expand permanent, direct federal funding streams to municipalities; increase investments in affordable housing and enabling infrastructure; recognize and support high-impact tourism and trade corridor regions such as Niagara;

5. THAT Niagara Regional Council request that both the federal and provincial governments formally recognize the infrastructure and service demands associated with hosting approximately 14 million visitors annually and generating approximately $3 billion in tourism activity, as reported by Niagara Falls Tourism and Ontario’s Destination Niagara;

6. THAT this motion be circulated to the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Jennie Steven’s, MPP for St. Catharines, Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for West Niagara, Jeff Burch, MPP for South Niagara, Wayne Gates MPP Niagara Falls, Prime Minister of Canada; Mark Carney, The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO); The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM); All Niagara-area municipalities requesting their support.

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