Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall says Ontario’s plan to shrink regional councils and appoint powerful chairs is a necessary step toward more efficient local government, saying that the current system is weighed down by too many elected officials and slow decision-making.
The proposed Better Regional Governance Act, 2026 would shrink councils in regions like Simcoe County and Niagara, while introducing provincially appointed regional chairs with “strong chair” powers, which mirrors the powers already granted to big-city mayors.
In an interview, Nuttall said that the province’s proposed overhaul of regional governance, including cutting the size of Simcoe County council and introducing a provincially appointed chair with expanded powers, as a “responsible step forward.”