By Emily Stonehouse

I have watched a lot of council meetings in my day.

Between working for a municipality and then jumping into local media, the meetings tend to be regular happenings.

And truthfully, I’ve always liked them. While some may snooze through the agenda, I personally find the ebbs and flows of local government to be captivating. A small representation of us, gathered around a table, making decisions that impact our everyday lives, whether we like it or not.

But in my many years of council viewing, I have personally never seen a meeting like the County council one last Wednesday.

I’ve seen things get heated. I was a senior staffer during the great arena debacle in Minden Hills in 2019. I’ve also watched meetings that are calm, cool, and collected; my reporter brain pulling and prying any one councillor for a quote that could turn into a story.

But last week’s meeting was different. It was bordering on uncomfortable.

The main topic was amalgamation. There, I said it. The elephant in the room.

EORN presented their report on the “County of Haliburton’s Community-wide Affordability and Governance Structure Study” to County council, and needless to say, there were some questions.

With four options on the table, there was a visible discomfort amongst the sitting members of council; the weight of what’s next hanging like a heavy cloud.

And through that sense of unease, I sensed sadness.

Several members sitting at that table will not be the ones deciding on this project, on the future of the County of Haliburton. For some, that’s their choice. For others, there’s a level of uncertainty and fear as we wade our way towards election season.

The energy in the council room last Wednesday felt a bit like the last day of school. When the teacher tries to find work to keep the students busy, but everyone knows it’s too late. Grades are submitted, report cards are on their way.

And during that meeting, it was clear that nobody wanted to be the bad guy. Steadfast stances were not taken. Statements skirted around accusations and eye contact was shifted and avoided.

It was fascinating to watch. And it reminded me that the people sitting at that table, the ones we’ve put our faith and trust in for the past four years, they’re only human. This elephant in the room is big to them, too, and they’re not sure which way it’s going to charge. Right now, they’re just sitting in its shadows, waiting for it to make a move.

For the next step of the project, the County approved an additional $100,000 for EORN to bring back some financial details around each of the presented models. Which truthfully, feels a little bit like one of those scams we’ve all fallen for online, where we put our credit card in for a free sample, only to be told we get the final results with a charged card.

Why weren’t these financial implications included in the original report, which already came with a price tag of $200,000? When all is said and done, that means we could be facing $300,000 for a few answers.

Is that what we want? Maybe, if it means we will get some clarity on next steps; especially considering the decision will land on the shoulders of some very green councillors in the new year.

And at this point, it’s all just a guess, as to where that elephant will charge.