Oro-Medonte Mayor Harry Hughes got to bend the Premier's ear at Queen's Park, a one on one chat where tackling the deficit and job creation came up for discussion.
Hughes was one of six Ontario mayors invited for face time with Doug Ford on Monday.
He let the premier know that the Places to Grow legislation has had unintended consequences which has stymied job creation in the Township because it puts limits on the amount of land that can be zoned industrial and the kind of industry that is allowed.
Hughes says Highway 11 between Barrie and Orillia is where a lot of industries would find as an ideal location but because the municipality can't have land available that companies would like, they are turning them away on a regular basis.
The premier was told that giving the municipality more flexibility would bolster job growth in Oro-Medonte without going to the provincial government to ask for money.
More flexibility for municipalities was a theme during their conversation, with Hughes pointing out in areas of infrastructure where the Township could replace a simple bridge for thousands of dollars morphs into the millions because of ministry standards.
He told Ford that the province should not get in the way of municipalities that know what is in their best interest.
But the mayor pointed out that there has to be checks and problems, noting the problem has been there has been layers and layers added that has been very costly and time consuming, and prevented things from happening.
Hughes was impressed with the premier, saying he felt like it was talking to another mayor because Ford readily understood what was needed to be done.
