NB Mayors Optimistic on City Reform, But Awaiting Details and Financial Reform – New Brunswick | The Canadian News

There is a mixed reaction in New Brunswick in response to a comprehensive municipal reform plan to reduce the number of municipalities and rural districts in the province from 340 to 90.

“We have been pushing or advocating for reform for the better part of 60 years,” says Alex Scholten, president of the New Brunswick Union of Municipalities.

The status quo is not enough, says Campbellton Mayor Ian Comeau.

“I am very happy with what Minister [Daniel] Allain recommended or proposed, ”Comeau says. “I think now is the time to sit down with other mayors, other elected officials, the transition team and see where this will take us.”

Comeau says he will meet with Allain this week to further discuss the plan.

Instead of 104 local governments and 236 local service districts, New Brunswick will have 78 local governments and 12 rural districts.

The rural districts will have elected “advisory committees”.

Scholten says the union has been pushing for the need for municipal votes and voices for all New Brunswick residents.

“This reform has allowed it,” he says. “So, the democratization of the province is one of the main points that we really like about this.”

Allain says that restructuring work will begin in early January and that the first elections for the new rural districts will be in November 2022.

But with changes of this magnitude on the horizon, much remains to be done.

“I feel like it might be quite difficult to have all of this within a year,” says the mayor of Campbellton.

Comeau says part of his concern stems from coexistence with regional service commissions.

“That’s another thing we’ll have to consider,” he says. “Are they offloading too much on that regional service commission? Are they duplicating things? “

Campbellton’s population will increase from nearly 7,000 to more than 12,000 when it merges with other communities such as Atholville and Tide Head, forming “Entity 7”.

Meanwhile, Scholten says there will be “rough waters” ahead, but they are trying to be patient.

However, it is concerned that financial reform was not part of this phase. That is part of a second phase, according to the province.

It is not yet known what will happen to the tax rates.

“Paying for the services you get and not paying for the services you don’t get, that will be key,” he says.

Scholten says the white paper It will create a “minimum standard” of land use planning, which means that each region will have to follow specific building codes and zoning requirements, putting all areas on equal footing.

The changes come after more than a year of public consultation, and Allain says that most of the ideas put forward focused on economic development, tourism and community development.

Legislation governing the reforms is expected to be introduced by the end of the year.

The mayor of Sackville acknowledges the consultation took place, but the plan still caught him a bit off guard with its scope.

“We were thinking about the natural limits. We were thinking of local service districts right next door and some that are probably closer to the city center, ”says Shawn Mesheau. “But it went beyond that.”

Sackville will be combined with Dorchester and several local service districts.

He says people and municipalities are wondering how this will affect them, but he wants to offer some reassurance.

“It will continue to have public safety and the roads will be occupied,” Mesheau says. “So we are all learning. The document is currently being reviewed by staff. “

Despite some concern, Mesheau says, “personally, I think [municipal reform] I was way behind. “

Compare these mergers with the merger that Miramichi formed.

The new entities will be formally established in January 2023.

– with archives from The Canadian Press