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Niagara Falls
Friday, March 29, 2024
Letter: Tourism committee needs more resident members
Letter. Supplied

Dear editor:

I would like to commend Coun. Sandra O’Connor for standing up for residents at the town council meeting on Feb. 21.

At this meeting, council settled on the composition of the tourism strategy committee. It will be a nine-person committee, with only two people representing residents.

Councillor O’Connor pointed out this imbalance and moved a motion to add a third resident.  To my surprise, the motion was defeated.

Rebecca Godfrey, the town’s tourism consultant, recommended that “people who work in tourism should make up 50 to 60 per cent of the committee.”

So residents should make up at least 40 per cent of the committee. Instead, they make up two out of nine, 22 per cent.

So not only did the other councillors fail to support Councillor O’Connor, they even ignored the recommendation of their own consultant.

Tourism massively impacts the quality of life of the residents of our town.

Councillor O’Connor was right that residents are under-represented on this critical committee.

Council should rethink this decision.

Ted Rumble
NOTL

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