The 2025 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference is now in the books, and local municipal officials who attended are giving the event rave reviews.
The Toronto conference saw Mississippi Mills Mayor Christa Lowry chairing the function, and one of the highlights of the gathering is the annual “Bear Pit” session, where delegates get to pose their questions directly to Ontario’s Cabinet Ministers.
Christa Lowry wasn’t shy in taking the microphone to ask sometihng on most delegates minds, querying Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Paul Calandra, on what many see as broken provincial-municipal fiscal framework.
“For over a year, ROMA and AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) have been calling for a Social and Economic Prosperity Review… It has not been reviewed in 15 years.
We deeply appreciate the investments in rural communities through the Building Faster Fund, OMPF and OCIF. However, one-time investments are no match for the rough waters we are navigating…
Municipalities are committed to doing our part, but this current arrangement is not sustainable. If we come together, municipalities and the province have the grit to weather this season.
Minister Calandra, these are uncertain times and both municipalities and the province are navigating the toughest waters. Will you commit to sitting down with us, as our partner, so that together we can find a new way forward for a sustainable, healthy, and prosperous Ontario?”
It was Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy who took the question, noting he appreciates the opportunity to meet with municipal leaders at these conferences and the provincial government recognizes the important of continuing to have that dialogue.
Another highlight of ROMA 2025 as nearly 30 members of provincial cabinet participated.
By Rick Stow
