16 September, 2026
FREDERICTON, N.B. – The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) welcomes the release of the Local Governance Commission’s 2025–2026 Annual Report and endorses its recommendations to the Minister of Local Government to strengthen local governance across the province.
UMNB fully supports the Commission’s recommendation to reintroduce mandatory Code of Conduct requirements addressing harassment, bullying, discrimination, and social media use into provincial regulations.
“The commission’s report confirms what we’ve been hearing from our members, more support is needed to assist communities still dealing with the growing pains of Local Government Reform,” said UMNB President Brittany Merrifield. “We urge the Minister to collaborate with municipal associations and implement the Commission’s recommendations.”
UMNB echoes the Commission’s caution that telling local governments to seek independent legal counsel for basic legislative interpretation creates an unfair burden, particularly for smaller communities without legal staff. This gap in departmental guidance has caused widespread uncertainty across member councils as they attempt to navigate their responsibilities.
The Commission’s findings align directly with the core challenges experienced by municipal leaders, as outlined in our 2026 report Respect in Action: A Strategy to Address Harassment and Intimidation in Local Government, particularly concerning workplace safety, council conduct, post-reform administrative pressures, and the urgent need for mandatory training.
About the UMNB
The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) is a bilingual association of 60 local governments of all sizes, representing nearly 85% of New Brunswick’s population. Together, our members tackle local challenges and share solutions to make life better for their citizens.
Contact:
Alyson Samson – Communications Manager
506-478-1695