Huron County Council Looks At Its Role as Advocate for Rural Ontario

By Bob Montgomery

Huron County CAO Meighan Wark says one of the priorities that council recognized as a priority at a meeting earlier this year was the role the county can play in advocating, not only for Huron County, but for other upper tier rural municipalities in the province.

Wark says a report that was presented to county council broke down some of the things council is already doing, but also highlighted potential opportunities for future advocacy, with input from senior staff. Wark says the key areas that council had already identified related to planning issues, agricultural land, supportive housing. Also, housing in general, and the need for increased long term sustainable infrastructure funding for municipalities for things like roads, bridges, brick and mortar facilities and general agricultural land protection. So the report highlights the work that either senior staff or elected officials have been doing and conversations they've been having with other levels of government as well as other advocacy groups on behalf of municipalities. Wark says the report also recognizes the work that Huron County is doing, not just on behalf of Huron County, but also other counties that are in similar positions and facing some of the same challenges.

Wark says as other issues come up in the community, like health care, county council will be asked to take a position on the issue and the county can continue to advocate. Wark adds, rural counties throughout Ontario are working together more often because rural communities throughout the province are often facing similar challenges and it makes sense to talk with each other about solutions and share information about what seems to be working and what doesn't. She adds, Huron County is well positioned to be involved in those conversations as the Warden, Glen McNeil is the Chair of the Western Ontario Wardens Caucus and past warden Jim Ginn chairs their Economic Development Committee.