Last week, members of the public got to hear a presentation regarding the potential for integrating fire services throughout the Pontiac region. Put on by staff from the MRC, the evenings were granular in their detail about how the costs of these services have ballooned dramatically over the past 20 odd years (some 485 per cent).
It’s an interesting subject to think about but also a big can of worms to open in a region with 18 jurisdictions as different and far afield as ours: how do we cooperate more effectively?
The efficiencies that can be found (and are already being seen) by integrating the region’s fire services could easily be applied to other areas, from public works staff to elected officials.
Pontiac, a region with a population of roughly 15,000 people has nearly the same number of elected representatives as there are seats in the National Assembly.
It’s baffling that the same mayors and councillors that talk up the efficiencies of sharing a fire department can turn around and say that they require a full six councillors for municipalities of less than 500 full-time residents. Actually it’s not baffling, it’s hard to ask someone to vote themselves out of office, but these conversations need to be had by those in the incoming administrations.
A point of contention in the ongoing discussions over the future of the Shawville arena is the fact that the infrastructure is used by the residents of numerous municipalities, but not all pay in at equal rates. If we take a regional lens to recreation infrastructure, do we have the population base to support three different arenas, with all the upkeep and maintenance that come with these aging facilities? This question could also be applied to splashpads, various pool proposals and other FRR-funded projects. There’s no doubt that people are attached to their local infrastructure, but the incoming mayors need to take into account the needs of the region as well as their municipalities.
On another front, boosting the modest stipends that municipal politicians receive, via amalgamation or reducing council seats, could attract better candidates, or at least make the position more attractive to people who aren’t retired or well-off. A smaller group of more professional candidates could provide better oversight of municipal and regional affairs.
No one likes increasing politician’s salaries, but the warden’s pay is modest (a little over $52,000 base remuneration in 2025) considering the responsibilities that go along with the role. This question came up in 2017 when the warden post was made a stand-alone position, and has come up again over the years, but has been shot down because no one likes giving politicians raises. Would say, another $20,000 a year be enough to lure someone away from a federal government job to run? It’s hard to say, but the cost of living isn’t getting any lower and we need to cast as wide a net as we can.
More money isn’t a silver bullet and doesn’t guarantee superior candidates, but it’s an option the next council of mayors should consider. It should be noted that over four years, a $20,000/year raise would work out to less than council spent on that waste incinerator report from Deloitte. Hell of a bargain.
Regardless of how the responsibilities are divvied up, the MRC’s class of council members for 2025 will have opportunities to work together and they should pursue them.
Or, they could duplicate their efforts and expend limited resources inefficiently by putting the priorities of their little fiefdom ahead of the greater good of the region.
The choice is theirs.
