FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Municipal Associations to Hold Leaders Forum on Priorities.
Fredericton, N.B, September 12, 2024 – L’Association Francophone des Municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick (AFMNB) and the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) are pleased to announce that an expert panel and leaders forum on municipal issues will take place on September 19th at the Sainte Anne Community Center in Fredericton. Liberal Party Leader Susan Holt and Green Party Leader David Coon have confirmed their attendance, while the associations await a confirmation from Premier Higgs. The goal of this event is to offer an opportunity for the leader of each political party to engage with councils from across the province and share their party’s plan to make municipalities vibrant and sustainable.
“Municipalities are key partners to ensuring the success of the provincial government. This dialogue is an opportunity for each leader vying for premier to engage local leaders from across the province in a forum on issues that matter to our members. We are pleased that Mr. Coon and Ms. Holt have confirmed their presence, and we hope that Premier Higgs will do the right thing and attend” said Yvon Godin, President of the AFMNB. “It is critical that our members hear from each leader about how they plan to address priorities such as a new fiscal framework, infrastructure, housing, public safety and more. We hope that Premier Higgs will accept the opportunity to share the PC party’s vision for the future of local governments”.
Additionally, as part of Municipalities week, the municipal associations are collaborating to hold an expert session on municipal finance, moderated by David Campbell (Jupia consultants) and including Dr. Andre LeClerc, an economics professor from Université de Moncton and Dr. Craig Brett, an economics professor from Mount Allison University. The three of them will share findings from their research into municipal fiscal issues and discuss what those issues mean for our citizens. Fiscal reform and the creation of a new fiscal framework are the top priority for the UMNB and the AFMNB.
“Our associations want to see municipal reform succeed. However, that can only happen with a new, modern fiscal framework, that adequately and sustainably funds local governments” said Andrew Black, President of the UMNB. “The work from Mr. Campbell, Dr. Brett and Dr. LeClerc lays out important data that outlines how the existing structure no longer meets the needs of our citizens and our communities. This panel discussion will help our members better understand the challenges of the existing funding structure provided to municipalities as well as reviewing some options that could help close the gap.”
The municipal associations are hosting these events as part of Municipalities Week, a week created to recognize the important role that local governments play in our communities. Additionally, it is an initiative supporting the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both the AFMNB and UMNB to jointly advocate for a new fiscal framework. Over 200 mayors, councillors, and senior staff are expected to participate in the forum and expert panel.
About UMNB: The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) is a bilingual association of fifty-six local governments of all sizes, representing almost 80% of New Brunswick’s population. Together, our members tackle local challenges and share solutions to make life better for their citizens.
About AFMNB:
The AFMNB brings together 30 francophone and bilingual municipalities in six major regions stretching from the northwest to the southeast of the province. Our member municipalities represent close to 389,000 people, or nearly half of New Brunswick’s
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Contact:
Vanessa Pettersson, Communications and Events Coordinator
UMNB
(506) 444-2285
vanessa.pettersson@umnb.ca
Eugénie Boudreau, responsable politique et projets communautaires
AFMNB
(506) 542-2622 poste 2440
communications@afmnb.org