The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury is considering a breakup with Simcoe County.
Mayor Rob Keffer wants to make sure the town is getting the most services for its taxpayer buck. That’s why he is considering a separation from the county.
“It's always good to ask questions, to delve into service levels,” he says.
The mayor plans to file a motion, which would have staff research whether a separation makes sense.
“Certain things are under our control with respect to making change. A fair amount is not, so we'll need to thoroughly review all of that,” says CAO Geoff McKnight.
Some options include becoming a city within the county like Barrie and Orillia. Another option is joining York Region.
“A lot of our new residents have moved up from York Region, and they're used to the service level York Region gives to their residents.”
It's not that the county has done anything wrong, although there have been a few complaints about garbage pick-up. The mayor says all options must be considered.
The county says it provides considerable resources for the town.
“One hundred and 10 million in road work. Sixty million dollars for County Road 4,” says Warden Gerry Marshall. .
Marshall is convinced once research is done, the town will be more than satisfied with what the county provides.
“The answer to the question is, is the County of Simcoe is where we should be, and where we belong?”
