St. Catharines mayoral candidate Ann-Marie Zammit opposes Niagara amalgamation

ST. CATHARINES — Ann-Marie Zammit, a candidate for mayor of St. Catharines, says the forced amalgamation of Niagara municipalities is being pushed despite evidence it fails to save money and is opposed by most residents.

"The way amalgamation was forcibly put on the people of Niagara was apocalyptic," Zammit said in an interview with The Pointer.

She said studies have not shown the cost savings and efficiencies promised by amalgamation proponents.

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A 2015 Fraser Institute analysis of three Ontario amalgamations found property taxes and operating costs increased.

It said Haldimand County saw a 50 percent property tax increase after its 2001 amalgamation, municipal employee compensation in Kawartha Lakes rose 52.8 percent and long-term debt in Norfolk County more than doubled between 2000 and 2012.

"Look to Hamilton, Toronto, and Kawartha Lakes," Zammit said.

"Look to how Peel Region is trying to pull apart after they amalgamated. Never has amalgamation been a positive."

She said her main concern is service distribution, noting that public transit promised to her hometown of Fort Erie after amalgamation never materialized.

In contrast, incumbent Mayor Mat Siscoe has expressed support for a four-city model in Niagara, citing budgeting issues with the regional government.

A CUPE Ontario poll in early March found Niagara residents reject amalgamation by a 3-to-1 ratio, with 62 percent saying Premier Doug Ford and the province should stop trying to amalgamate the city.

When asked why the policy is still being pushed, Zammit said, "from my observations of what's happening in other regions, the Premier wants to capitalize on underdeveloped land. Niagara has a large agricultural land resource, and we have reached urban boundaries."

She also pointed to Bill 100, which seeks to reduce seven regional representatives to one, as part of what she calls a "shovels in the ground mandate" that removes democratic representation.

Zammit's platform centres on a housing-first strategy to increase supply and combat homelessness without forced amalgamation.

"There are over 3000 vacant dwellings in St. Catharines. Imagine what we can do with that many empty homes," she said.

She pointed to Medicine Hat, Alberta, which achieved functionally zero homelessness through housing-first initiatives.

"Why can't we do the same in St. Catharines?"

Zammit said many constituents express concerns about downtown safety and accessibility, with broken sidewalks and the unhoused population making visits anxiety-inducing for some.

She said her approach would reallocate existing property tax revenue toward housing without raising taxes.

"Allocation, in some ways, is more important than the total sum you pay. My government would see more of the property taxes residents are already paying to go toward housing," Zammit explained.

She believes providing housing would also reduce costs for emergency services and public infrastructure repairs, as it has in other municipalities.

A University of Toronto study uses mathematical modelling to show how addiction and homelessness feed each other in a feedback loop, comparing housing-first policies that provide permanent housing quickly with treatment-first approaches.

Zammit was the first of four mayoral candidates to file her nomination on May 1.

The city clerk certified her nomination on August 25.

She often holds "Coffee on AMZ" sessions at Mahtay Café in downtown St. Catharines to listen to constituents.

"The privilege of serving as Mayor would carry an immense responsibility, one I take seriously," Zammit said.

"I want to be clear about both my vision and the limits of the role. A mayor is not a cure-all, and meaningful change doesn't come from one office alone."

With files from The Pointer