Members pleased with reform but have questions about implementation
FREDERICTON – The Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) welcomes the Government of New Brunswick’s white paper on local governance reform, “Working together for vibrant and sustainable communities.” Meaningful reform has been a long-standing priority for our association. However, many municipalities have questions regarding the plan and its implementation.
In a letter to Minister Daniel Allain, UMNB has shared the questions and concerns arising from discussions with member municipalities across the province.
“During our meetings with municipal leaders, the increased responsibilities of the Regional Service Commissions (RSC) were frequently raised,” said Alex Scholten, President of the UMNB. “Some services being mandated to RSCs are already offered by municipalities, which raises questions about who will pay for particular services and how this will reduce duplication.”
Municipal leaders want action on finance reform.
“Our membership is disappointed to see much needed finance reforms being pushed off until 2024,” said Scholten. “Ensuring that residents pay for the services they receive is a key element of building vibrant and sustainable communities. Delaying reform could leave communities in a vulnerable position. UMNB members want to see progress on this key pillar before 2024.”
UMNB members were pleased to see progress on important files such as statements of public interest and allowing permanent residents to vote in municipal elections. While there are still many questions that need to be addressed, UMNB remains a committed partner in local governance reform and will continue to advocate on behalf of our members.
To read the letter:https://umnb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/UMNB2021-WhitePaperResponse-EN.pdf
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The Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) is a bilingual association of sixty-one local governments of all sizes, representing over one-third of New Brunswick’s population.
For more information, please contact:
Dan Murphy, UMNB Executive Director, dan.murphy@umnb.ca