Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma has attended his fair share of AMO conferences over the years but the latest held Sunday to Tuesday was admittedly his most productive.
Ritsma was in Ottawa with seven city councillors, senior city staff and representatives from investStratford, the city’s economic development corporation.
“All doing their part on advocating and trying to send a unified message around the needs of Stratford,” the mayor told MyStratfordNow.
The Association of Municipalities Conference is an annual gathering of municipal representatives, government and business leaders. It’s a chance to learn, interact and have conversations that impact Ontario communities.
Ritsma said the city contingent advocated for childcare spaces to Minister of Education Paul Calandra. There are 3,000 needed in Perth County, 600 of those in Stratford.
Part of Calandra’s portfolio is early childhood education and childcare.
The mayor said the city has teamed up with several other municipalities that are exempt from the provincial government’s municipal partnership fund.
The province has increased funding, with the average eligible municipality receiving $900,000.
“In our world, that is a one percent deduction in our tax levy.”
Ritsma chatted with the Mayor of Orangeville, Lisa Post, and the group is hoping to get to Queen’s Park to follow-up on that topic.
The mayor said the two H’s – homelessness and housing, were the most prominent topics and solutions and ideas were discussed throughout.
Use of AI was also a big topic, and how cities can implement it more in day-to-day operations while ensuring staff are trained and the ‘fear’ of AI is alleviated.
All in all, the mayor it was worth the trip to the nation’s capital.
“One of the more productive AMO conferences…including the formal portion – workshops – but also informal chats, sidebars, which are equally important, if not more.”
