GRAVENHURST - The third and final of a spring round of public meetings hosted by One Muskoka will come to Gravenhurst next week.
On June 6, the local organization seeking a more efficient form of municipal governance will be at Terry’s Your Independent Grocer, in the upstairs meeting room to answer questions and dole out as much information as possible.
“We’re interested in providing information for all the citizens of Muskoka, particularly when it comes to the political machinery,” said Mike Provan, a founding member of One Muskoka. “We’re still dealing with a 40-year-old system (of municipal governance) that’s getting more and more expensive all the time.”
Provan said the group’s primary goal is to see a full, independent review of the region’s municipal structure as they believe there are far more efficient ways of doing things.
“It’s good, old-fashioned business sense,” he added. “No corporation has seven finance departments anymore, things are centralized and efficient. “It’s not enough for the municipalities to expect more funding from the provincial government; that all comes from the same taxpayer’s pocket. The municipal level needs to find ways of operating more efficiently too.”
“All we want to do is provide the information to the public and let them make up their own minds, and if they agree, talk to their representatives about change,” Provan said.
The group met in Gravenhurst with the local ratepayers’ association last fall and Provan said there seemed to be an agreement that a serious review is needed.
He said a recent meeting held May 14 in Bracebridge and another in Huntsville May 31 also drew interest from the public, although convincing local members of municipal government has proven difficult.
“There was a point (district) councillors supported a review of the local municipal structure, but councils changed,” he said.
The June 6 meeting will begin at 7 p.m. with members of One Muskoka giving a brief presentation.
 The floor will then open to discussion where people will be invited to share their ideas and ask questions.
For more information about One Muskoka, check out the website at www.onemuskoka.ca.