www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 19, 2007 - 9 More Halton politicians? By Melanie Hennessey SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Should there be more members on Halton regional council? A committee comprised of the four local mayors and Regional Chair Gary Carr may soon be formed to study the question. After much debate last week, the Region's administration and finance committee narrowly supported a motion to create a regional representation review sub-committee. If the motion is passed by regional council today, the group will be charged with examining the appropriateness of the current number of council members and reporting back in March 2008 with recommendations. At last week's committee meeting, Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville kicked things off by voicing his opposition to the concept. "I don't think there are people out there saying, `We need more politicians,'" he said. "I think we have a model that's working right now." But Burlington Councillor Rick Craven begged to differ. FREE TRIAL CLASS! CALL NOW Oakville's Best Music Instruction And Best Dance Instruction. "I don't think there are people out there saying, `We need more politicians.'" Clark Somerville, Halton Hills councillor "From my point of view in the City of Burlington, members of council are generally feeling overwhelmed. The paper work alone is truly amazing," he said. "It's time to study this question and we have the time to do it right. Let's get on with it." Burlington Mayor Cam Jackson said he knows "there is a clear appetite to look at this question." But Halton Hills Councillor Jane Fogal said if this is just a Burlington workload problem, she's not sure that's the Region's problem to fix. "If you're going to create more councillors, we want to get another one as well," she noted. While Milton Mayor Gord Krantz said he has no problem taking a look at the current representation, he concurred with Somerville that there's not a big demand in the community for more politicians. Councillor Keith Bird then suggested it be the mayors and regional chair who comprise the sub-committee, since they're the only ones who wouldn't be affected if ward boundaries were to change. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton voiced his support for this concept, but a few members of the committee expressed skepticism about the group just being comprised of the heads of council. Carr went on to propose having a more informal look at the situation, rather than creating a sub-committee. He pointed out there are more fundamental issues council needs to deal with. Somerville said an informal process would concern him even more than the original proposal. "At least it was going to be a public process," he noted. In the end, the committee endorsed Bird's proposal. Regional council will deal with the motion at its meeting today. Melanie Hennessey can be reached at mhennessey@miltoncanadianchampion.com. PRE DANCE 2.5-3 yrs BABY BALLET 3-4 yrs KINDER BALLET 4-5 yrs PRE PRIMARY 5-6 yrs PRIMARY 6-7 yrs GRADE 2 R.A.D GRADE 3 R.A.D QUICK START BALLET (Beginner) HIP HOP 10-12 yrs HIP HOP 13+ TAP 7-9 yrs TAP 10-12 yrs TAP 13+ TAP ADVANCED BOYS ONLY ADULT DANCE Offering Oakville the finest in arts exploration and development. MUSIC LESSONS · Piano · Vocal · Guitar · Flute · Drums · Violin etc. MUSICAL THEATRE 11-13 yrs FAME 13+ yrs ACTING 11-15 yrs FINE ARTS PRE SCHOOL AFTERNOON ARTS 3-6 yrs Come in and tour our state-of-the-art facility and meet our passionate, professional, university qualified instructors and find out why we are OAKVILLE'S BEST! www.oakvilleacademy.com 1011 Upper Middle Road East & Eighth Line 905.844.ARTS (2787) Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. * Free dance skirt with new registration All On Sale Now! COMPLETE BEDROOM SUITES Solid Wood From $ 00 Sofas, 2,298 SOFAS $ 69900 to $1,39800 Dining Suites on SALE Now! 1029 Speers Rd., Oakville (Speers Rd. & 4th Line Main Location) Solid Birch HEADBOARDS FABRIC$ TO LEATHER$ 33900 53900 -------------------- TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER ---------------------- 2342 Lakeshore Rd. W. Bronte Village, Oakville 905.469.9876 905.842.3739 www.joshuacreekfurniture.com