Brantford Public Utilities Commission
Encyclopedia
The Brantford Public Utilities Commission is a former municipal commission in Brantford
, Ontario
, Canada
. Once a powerful body in the city, it was dismantled in 1996 and eliminated entirely in 2001.
The commission oversaw hydro and water services, and after 1935 it also looked after the city's public transportation system. It was overseen for many years by a team of elected commissioners, who represented different wards in the city.
The Brantford city council
passed a by-law in 1996 that dismembered the commission. After heated discussions and a series of lawsuits, the city took over water and transit services directly and set up the Brantford Hydro-Electric Commission to oversee hydro services.
City council shut down the latter commission in 2001, two years after the provincial government of Mike Harris
changed the oversight of public utilities to encourage deregulation and privatization. Brantford originally planned to sell the service outright, but instead set up Brantford Power and related corporations to run it. City councillor Richard Carpenter criticized this decision, saying that it could result in private-sector control and higher rates without proper oversight.
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Once a powerful body in the city, it was dismantled in 1996 and eliminated entirely in 2001.
The commission oversaw hydro and water services, and after 1935 it also looked after the city's public transportation system. It was overseen for many years by a team of elected commissioners, who represented different wards in the city.
The Brantford city council
Brantford City Council
The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario.The council consists of a mayor and ten councillors, two representing each of five wards...
passed a by-law in 1996 that dismembered the commission. After heated discussions and a series of lawsuits, the city took over water and transit services directly and set up the Brantford Hydro-Electric Commission to oversee hydro services.
City council shut down the latter commission in 2001, two years after the provincial government of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
changed the oversight of public utilities to encourage deregulation and privatization. Brantford originally planned to sell the service outright, but instead set up Brantford Power and related corporations to run it. City councillor Richard Carpenter criticized this decision, saying that it could result in private-sector control and higher rates without proper oversight.