County advocates for infrastructure and victim services at ROMA

County of Brant officials met with representatives from the Ministry of Infrastructure during the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto to discuss the Paris Water Treatment Plant project and related funding challenges. Pictured, from left, are MPP Brian Riddell; Coun. Brian Coleman; Adam Crozier, general manager of strategic initiatives; Coun. Jennifer Kyle; Mayor David Bailey; Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure Amarjot Sandhu; Coun. Lukas Oakley; and Coun. David Miller.

Paris Independent Staff 

Paris Independent Contributor

Members of County of Brant council and staff attended the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto from Jan. 18 to 20, meeting with representatives from other rural municipalities and holding delegation sessions with provincial ministries on issues affecting the county.

“The annual ROMA conference provides an important opportunity to meet with elected officials and staff from rural municipalities across the province,” said Mayor David Bailey. “These connections allow us to learn from our shared challenges, provide support to our neighbours through our experiences, and advocate with provincial ministers and representatives on key issues impacting our community.”

Attending alongside the mayor were Couns. Jennifer Kyle, Lukas Oakley, Brian Coleman, John Bell, David Miller and Robert Chambers, as well as General Manager of Strategic Initiatives Adam Crozier and Government Relations Specialist Delia Reiche.

A key feature of the ROMA conference is the opportunity for municipalities to participate in structured delegation meetings with provincial ministries, allowing councils and staff to engage directly with provincial leaders on local priorities.

Among the County of Brant’s 2026 delegation meetings was a session with Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity Charmaine Williams and Parliamentary Assistant Natalie Pierre from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Discussions focused on the escalating impacts of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence in the county. County representatives highlighted their work with front-line service providers and the Brant County Ontario Provincial Police, noting that emergency funding provided to local agencies for victim services programming has been effective in virtually eliminating wait lists. The county also requested provincial leadership through formal recognition of gender-based violence as an epidemic and the implementation of a sustainable, volume-driven funding model.

The county also met with Parliamentary Assistant Amarjot Sandhu from the Ministry of Infrastructure to discuss the Paris Water Treatment Plant project, related funding challenges, and the pressures facing small and mid-sized municipalities as they work to meet provincial housing targets while maintaining affordability for existing residents. Brian Riddell, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement and MPP for Cambridge, also participated in the meeting.

“Advocating for our residents’ needs is a key purpose for Council and staff when attending the ROMA conference,” Bailey said. “The opportunity to directly connect with provincial leaders and have meaningful discussions about our community’s needs is incredibly important. While the County is committed to supporting programs and services that directly impact our residents, we look to the Ontario government when these issues are shaped and managed at the provincial level.”

ROMA is the rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, representing rural and small municipalities across the province and undertaking policy, research and advocacy work on their behalf.