Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran is calling for a referendum on rapid transit, just a few weeks before regional councillors are expected to make a decision on the issue.
If the motion goes ahead, the final decision on rapid transit could be delayed for up to six months.
Halloran says while she's in favour of rapid transit, all citizens should be heard.
"It's been building in the community. We can see it in the emails we're getting. I'm having people constantly now meeting with me, expressing their concerns, their frustration that they want to be able to have a voice in this."
Regional Councillor Jim Wideman disagrees with the idea of a referendum, "I believe that the people of the region elected us to make this decision back in October. They knew we would be faced with this decision and I believe they elected us to make that decision."
But Halloran believes a simple question needs to go back to the citizens, "‘Do you want trains or do you want buses?' Simple as that. We need rapid transit, we need to get cars off the road, we need to invest in this community, but what type of technology do people prefer?"
Wideman thinks that simplicity is the problem. Referendum questions must have yes or no answers, and he doesn't know how council would ever agree on a question.
Some are wondering whether Halloran's motion is politically motivated, but she says it's just about representing the citizens of the community and bringing their voices to council chambers.
Wideman won't comment on the reasons behind the push for a referendum, but adds the public has already been involved in the process.
"We have consulted with the public since December 2004. That's six and a half years of consultation, public meetings, public information centers."
Halloran is expected to put forward the motion in the near future.
Whether or not there's a referendum, Kitchener City Council is holding a meeting on May 26, while regional council will host public meetings on May 31 and June 1.
