Niagara's regional chair has backed away from a proposal that included possible amalgamations, after facing opposition from many of the area's mayors.
Bob Gale said in a letter last month that he was starting consultations on reforms including potential amalgamations and reducing the number of councillors, saying there are too many elected officials in Niagara — 126 — and tax increases are too high.
Several mayors said while they agreed local governance could be made more efficient, they were not behind the idea of forced amalgamations.