Wendy Flowers says she was terminated without notice from her job as treasurer and clerk for the now-defunct Village of Minto. (Submitted by Wendy Flowers)
The former treasurer of the defunct Village of Minto is challenging her termination from her role, announced without notice two weeks before the community was merged with another to create the new municipality of Grand Lake.
Wendy Flowers, the village's former treasurer and clerk, said she worked through 2022 helping co-ordinate the merger of Minto and Chipman, which took effect on Jan. 1 as a result of local government reform.
She said she was assured throughout the process that her job was secure and that she'd remain employed, in some capacity, after the two villages were merged.
But on Dec. 15, Flowers said she was called into a meeting by Don Ferguson, the transition facilitator working for the Department of Local Government and Local Governance Reform, and handed a letter of termination.
"I was shocked. I didn't really know what to say," Flowers said.
"[Ferguson] said … there is no reason, it's without cause, that my position was being eliminated and then I had until the next day at three o'clock to remove my personal belongings from my office."
The Village of Minto was merged with the Village of Chipman and surrounding local service districts to create the municipality of Grand Lake. (Shane Fowler/CBC)
Flowers said she was first hired by the village in July 2016 as both the clerk and treasurer for the municipality.
In November 2021, the provincial government announced it was slashing the number of local government entities by forcing mergers of dozens of municipalities and neighbouring rural areas, and combining remaining rural areas into new, larger rural districts.
Local Government and Local Governance Reform Minister Daniel Allain led the initiative, which saw 22 per cent of the provincial population go from living in unincorporated local service districts to living in enlarged municipalities, as of January.
Minto and Chipman were two municipalities that were combined, along with a handful of local service districts to create Grand Lake.
Flowers said part of her work in 2022 was helping prepare the Village of Minto for the planned merger.
"We were taken by surprise, obviously, when the minister announced the amalgamation of Minto and Chipman — two independent villages," Flowers said.
"But we were quickly assured that there would be no job losses. Everybody, all hands, were needed. We needed everybody to be on board to make this work."
Applied for several new positions
Flowers said a position of chief administrative officer for Grand Lake was posted in advance of the merger, which she applied for and was interviewed.
She said she lost to Michelle Dickinson, the former clerk and treasurer for the Village of Chipman, however, Flowers said she was told she'd still work with the new municipality as clerk.
Flowers said a position for treasurer was then posted, which she also applied for, however, the notice of termination was given shortly after.
She said since her firing, she hasn't heard any follow up about the treasurer position she applied for, and has also noticed the municipality has since posted a job opening for a municipal clerk.
Flowers said she hasn't applied for that posting, adding she thinks it would be "pointless."
"I had the job and I was dismissed from it, so even though they say that it's been without cause, it certainly doesn't make me look good."
Asking for more severance
The Act Respecting Local Governance Reform received royal assent in December 2021 giving Allain special powers with respect to the transition of communities into new municipalities.
One of those sections specifically gave Allain the power to fire a municipal employee with reasonable notice, or with payment instead of notice.
That section of the act is cited in Flowers's termination letter, along with an offer of 16-weeks pay in lieu of notice, in exchange for giving up her right to take legal action against the Village of Minto, the municipality of Grand Lake, the province or the minister.
Daniel Allain, New Brunswick's minister of local governance reform, announced in 2021 plans to cut the number of local government entities from 340 to fewer than 100. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Flowers hasn't agreed to those terms, and in response, Andrew Rouse, her lawyer, wrote a letter to Ferguson to say that Flowers should have been given the role of clerk for the new municipality, considering Chipman's former clerk had already been hired to be the new chief administrative officer.
"ln addition, the Minister and his staff, repeatedly assured all employees that if they were no longer able to keep their job due to the amalgamation, an alternative position would be found for the employee," Rouse said, in his letter.
"Wendy was also assured by you that she would not lose her job."
Rouse, in his letter, said Flowers is prepared to accept 15-months pay in lieu of notice as a result of her termination.
Allain did not provide an interview about Flowers's termination, and whether the same was done to municipal staff working in other villages that were part of mergers.
Vicky Lutes, a spokesperson for his department said in an email the goal was to ensure a role for all employees, and that it was achieved in the vast majority of entities.
"There were limited instances where the goal wasn't achieved," she said. "Given that these are human resource-related matters, we cannot comment on specifics."
Protecting municipal staff important: union
When local government reform was announced, the understanding was that firing municipal staff would be "the last possible resort," said Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick.
"What we had understood from the department from the get-go is that they were going to try to minimize any type of job loss whether it was going to be by finding a position in another municipality or another … position within the municipality," he said.
Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said the union told the Department of Local Government and Local Governance Reform that it would be important for municipalities to keep as many of their staff as possible. (Kandise Brown/Submitted)
Murphy said he doesn't know how many municipal staff have been fired as a result of local government reforms.
However, he said his union had communicated to Allain's department how important it would be to keep as many municipal employees as possible.
"We've mentioned to the department over and over again, you know, the importance of protecting municipal staff and ensuring that we don't lose that knowledge base," he said.
"There's a lot of years of experience, a lot of administrators, who are very good and know what's going on … so that experience is going to be really important."
Methinks Madame Flowers should have listened to me and studied my emails long before she lost her job N'esy Pas?
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)"<Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca> Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2021 21:19:42 +0000 Subject: RE: Attn Mayors Roseline Pelletier and Erica Barnett To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
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End of an era as Higgs government drops voter veto on municipal mergers
Not everyone will miss plebiscites that slowed reforms for two decades Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Nov 19, 2021 4:24 PM AT
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2021 09:30:53 -0400 Subject: Fwd: Hey Higgy Methinks Dorothy Shephard must admit that Dependable Public Health Care begins with a Medicare Card instead of having her nasty minions inviting me to sue her in order to get one Correct? To: jmanzer@jacobibrien.com, jbosse3058@gmail.com Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
The new collective agreement between thousands of Mounties and the federal government includes a wage increase of more than 23 per cent over six years. (Shane Magee/CBC)
RCMP members have ratified their first collective agreement, and it provides a salary increase of 23.7 per cent over six years — an increase that has New Brunswick municipalities calculating how much more they will be paying for policing.
The contract signed Aug. 6 between the federal Treasury Board and National Police Federation, the RCMP union, includes retroactive pay increases.
Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said communities are just starting to get the details of the contract. He said the cost of policing has been among the top issues for municipalities after the province's planned reforms to local governance.
"It's kind of an issue that affects smaller municipalities as well as larger municipalities," Murphy said in an interview. "So everyone is kind of grappling with what this could mean, trying to make plans accordingly."
In Moncton, where Codiac Regional RCMP is the largest detachment in the province, $3.5 million had been set aside by the Codiac Regional Policing Authority to cover retroactive payments. The amount was based on an assumed 2.5 per cent annual wage increase, though the actual increase is higher.
"We think there's going to be a shortfall, we just do not know at this point what the amount is," Jacques Doucet, Moncton's chief financial officer, said in an interview Monday evening.
Jacques Doucet, Moncton's chief financial officer shown at a council meeting earlier this year, says they're awaiting information from the RCMP to determine whether enough money had been set aside to cover the wage increase. (Shane Magee/CBC)
Doucet said the details of the contract were received late last week, and its implications are still being analyzed by RCMP and the regional policing authority, which oversees the Mounties who police Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview.
Doucet said they need to know who was on staff in the previous years, their rank, and who was on leave before a more complete accounting can be done. When that can be done will depend on the RCMP, which has the required payroll information.
The contract covers RCMP reservists and officers below the rank of inspector. It says pay rates will change within 90 days of the agreement being signed.
Union president Brian Sauvé has previously said that his goal was to bring Mountie pay in line with other police agencies. In a statement announcing the tentative agreement in June, Sauvé said RCMP pay "fell significantly behind municipal and provincial police counterparts."
In Fredericton, which has its own police force, a first class constable earned $87,008.66 in 2016, and $97,359.61 in 2020, according to their pay scale.
Under the RCMP's 2016 pay scale, a first class constable would earn $86,110. That rises to to $106,576 by next April. A corporal who made $94,292 in 2016 would see their pay rise to $116,703 next year.
Codiac RCMP Insp. Benoit Joliette, speaking to Moncton council Monday night, acknowledged the new contract and said the force is working to determine its impact.
"We'll keep working with the three communities to see what the impact will be," Joliette said.
Under the policing contract, Moncton pays about 70 per cent of the $33 million Codiac RCMP budget, with Dieppe paying about 18 per cent and Riverview covering the rest.
"It's been on our radar for a long time," Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold said of the salary increase. "We've known it was coming. But as far as the precision of what the implications will be, we don't know those exactly right at this time."
The increase comes as the city has yet to make a decision on whether to go ahead with building a new Codiac RCMP station. The cost, once pegged at $46 million, has risen but the city has not made the new estimate public.
Sure please excuse my spelling but I will resend it warts and all Notice that Higgy's computer answered me??
On 6/10/21, Jules Bosse <jbosse3058@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Mr. Amos, > > Thank you for your email this morning that confirmed the facts in your talk > with Mrs Martin on May 18, 2021. By mistake I erased that email. Can you > please forward me that same email. > > Thanks, and have a great day! > > Jules Bossé >
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)"<Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca> Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2021 18:21:01 +0000 Subject: RE: Talk of May 18, 2021 To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
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In reference to the summary of the conversation you had with Mrs. Sylvie Martin from the office of the local LSD manager in Edmundston where she would have informed you in an affirmative way that I will no longer be in position on the advisory committee of my LSD after May 31st. You then gave me her phone number (735-2763) to confirm that we were talking about the same person.
As part of a province-wide file, the New Brunswick Association of Local Service Districts (ALSDNB ), a file is being compiled to identify as many irregularities as possible in reference to these makeshift elections under section 170(2) of the Local Government Act. To that effect, please confirm our discussion of May 18th and add any other details you deem relevant.
Thank you for your cooperation and your interest in the fairness of our democratic system.
This is proof that I sent emails to Premier Higgs and many others at the the same point in time which I forwarded to you in its entirety after we talked again correct?
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada <mcu@justice.gc.ca> Date: Tue, 18 May 2021 12:06:54 +0000 Subject: Automatic Reply To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
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David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 49 others Methinks it would be interesting to see what Minister Bernadette Jordan thinks of this spit and chew about our garbage We already know what Rob Moore the wannabe MP again thinks of her new position N'esy Pas?
Province helps mend rift between communities after service commission dissolved Board serving 18 towns and rural communities in Sussex-Hampton dissolved last month amid budget dispute
Connell Smith · CBC News · Posted: Mar 11, 2019 5:00 AM AT
Photo The waste transfer station in Sussex maintained by Regional Service Commission 8. The facility is at the heart of a dispute that pits rural communities against the region's incorporated communities. (RSC 8)
The Department of Local Government will arrange training and mediation to help mend a rift between the towns and many rural communities in the greater Sussex-Hampton area.
The volunteer board serving that region's service commission was dissolved by Local Government Minister Jeff Carr in early February after it became hopelessly divided over the 2019 budget.
Brenda Knight, a retired municipal administrator, has been appointed trustee to oversee operations in the board's stead.
On March 5, Knight approved a budget for the commission, which will be presented to representatives of the four municipalities and 14 local service districts in coming weeks.
In the meantime, Erika Jutras, a Department of Local Government spokeswoman, said the trustee will remain in place until either members "demonstrate" they can work together or the next municipal elections in May 2020, whichever comes first.
Division over solid waste costs
The board split last fall over how solid waste management costs were to be divided between the towns and unincorporated rural communities, called local service districts.
Many of the board members representing LSDs feel they are paying too much for waste management.
Mary Ann Coleman chairs the LSD Advisory Committee for Waterford, which has a population of approximately 500.
Minister removed member of Sussex-area commission after harassment complaint
Service commission fired after months of deadlock over budget
She says costs should be allocated strictly on how waste is generated by each community.
The current cost formula involves a combination of a levee on the amount of trash collected and a fixed amount for each community that is dedicated to providing stable funding for the region's waste transfer station in Sussex.
"It's important in my mind that we keep the costs of services, as much as we can, down for people," said Coleman.
"This has an impact on the taxes for people in rural areas."
She says the costs to operate the waste transfer station should be taken entirely from tipping fees, which would cost the towns more and the LSDs less.
Proposed budget 'didn't suit' some municipalities
James McCrea was chair of the service commission board at the time it was dissolved.
McCrea, who is from the LSD of Wickham, says the costs are not being distributed fairly, based on trash volumes alone, and that goes against the intent of regulations set out by the province.
"It was a fair budget, it was a really good budget that was proposed. But it didn't suit some of the municipalities and a couple of the local service districts," said McCrea.
Photo James McCrea was chair of the board for Regional Service District 8 when it was dissolved by the province in February. He represents Wickham LSD Advisory Committee. (Maria Jose Burgos, CBC)
Speaking to CBC last month, Sussex Mayor Marc Thorne said the budget proposed by the LSDs threatened the future of the region's waste transfer station and recycling operations because the station requires stable funding year-to-year while trash volumes fluctuate.
McCrea says in asking for the change to the funding formula the rural communities are not trying to threaten the viability of the transfer station.
"There's never been a problem existed that can't be dealt with and fixed, but everyone has to work together and share the costs." About the Author
Connell Smith Reporter Connell Smith is a reporter with CBC in Saint John. He can be reached at 632-7726 Connell.smith@cbc.ca
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David Amos Methinks it would be interesting to see what Bernadette Jordan Canada’s inaugural minister of rural economic development thinks of this spit and chew about our garbage We already know what our former MP thinks of her position N'esy Pas?
New rural development minister is first female Nova Scotia MP named to federal cabinet By Holly McKenzie-Sutter The Canadian Press January 14, 2019 3:07 pm
"Rob Moore, Conservative shadow minister for Atlantic Canada, wished Jordan well with her new portfolio, but questioned Trudeau’s motives so close to October’s federal election.
Moore said the new portfolio “appears to just be a communications exercise” that may stand for too little, too late.
“It appears to be just to give off the impression that they’re connected or concerned with Atlantic issues, when in fact the last three years tells us that Atlantic and rural issues are on the backburner,” Moore said.
Trudeau’s cabinet came under fire from some Atlantic Canadians when Navdeep Bains, a Mississauga MP, was put in charge of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Criticism also followed when New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc was shuffled out of the Fisheries portfolio to be replaced with Jonathan Wilkinson, who represents North Vancouver.
Jordan said Monday the government has a genuine commitment to rural Canada.
“I think it’s an unfortunate thing that people don’t consider rural important, because rural is extremely important to this government, we’re showing that,” she said."
We want to hear from you and ask you to collaborate in the process. Based on your feedback, we will bring those ideas and bring forward a plan for reform in fall 2021.
New Brunswickers are invited to participate in a series of eight in-person world café community roundtable discussions about the next steps in local governance reform. Each of the sessions below link to the event registration page. Note that there is very limited capacity for each, therefore we ask that only one person per household attend. Also note that once a session has reached the capacity allowed for registrants, it will no longer be available. Only participants who have registered will be allowed to attend the session. Please be advised that attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times during the session. Please bring your mask. We will have masks on-hand in the event you forget to bring your own. Registrants will be required to show proof of vaccination starting September 22 in order to be admitted to the session.
Daniel Allain, New Brunswick's minister of local governance reform, says more consultation meetings will take place before the province issues another report on how it will implement reforms. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
There was little agreement during consultations about how to change local governance in New Brunswick, according to a report released by the New Brunswick government Thursday.
The Progressive Conservatives committed to overhaul the local governance system that has remained largely the same since the Equal Opportunity Program in the 1960s.
The reform effort launched this year with a series of consultations mostly held online because of the pandemic.
The 18-page "what we heard" report doesn't say how the province will proceed with reforms, details that are expected to be part of a future "white paper" this fall.
Instead, the report offers brief summaries of input from around 1,100 people who took part in 25 meetings in recent months, as well as online surveys completed by more than 1,200 people.
'Little consensus on the right approach'
"While the general consensus was that reform needs to happen, there was little consensus on the right approach," the report states.
In general, the report says participants said the province has too many local governance entities, that changes are required to the property tax and assessment systems to make them fairer and increase transparency, and establish local representation for local service districts where the province makes decisions.
The province has 340 local entities, including eight cities, 26 towns, 61 villages, eight rural communities, one regional municipality and 236 local service districts, a previous report issued ahead of the consultations states.
Daniel Allain, the province's minister of local governance reform, has said he wants to ensure those living in rural areas where there's no municipal or local government have elected representation empowered to make decisions for their area.
In an interview, Allain said the white paper with the province's approach should be released in November or December, with some of the legislation to implement reforms expected to be introduced this year.
"I think right now we're still looking at pretty much everything," Allain said when asked if any options are no longer being considered based on the consultations.
Asked if the province is ruling out forced amalgamations, Allain said nothing has been ruled out.
"Forcing amalgamations is a subject which people ask me every time," he said. "'Are you going to force us to amalgamate and are you going to raise my taxes?'
"The question is yes and no. At the end of the day, we're not going to force people to do anything they don't want, but we know one thing: We have to reduce the number of entities in New Brunswick."
The report highlights areas where it says local leaders are already discussing restructuring. Those include:
Village of Stanley and the local service districts of Saint Mary's, Estey's Bridge, and Stanley.
Local service districts of Douglas, Keswick Ridge, Bright, and a portion of the local service district of Queensbury.
Town of Caraquet, Village of Bas Caraquet, Village of Bertrand, Village of Maisonnette, Village of Grande-Anse, Village of Saint-Léolin, the local service districts of Pokesudie, Saint-Simon, Blanchard Settlement, Évangéline, Poirier, Dugas, Anse Bleue, and a portion of the local service districts of Pokemouche, Landry Office, parish of Caraquet, and New Bandon.
Town of Grand Falls, Village of Drummond, and the rural community of St. André.
City of Campbellton, Town of Dalhousie, local service districts of McLeods, Dalhousie Junction, Pointe la Nim, and a portion of the local service district of Dalhousie.
Rural community of Cocagne and the local service districts of Grande-Digue, Shediac River and Dundas.
Village of Alma, Village of Riverside-Albert and Village of Hillsborough and the local service districts of Hillsborough, Harvey, Hopewell and Alma. Alternatively, there are discussions to combine those communities with the Town of Riverview.
Village of St. Martins with the local service districts of Simonds, Fairfield and St. Martins.
Village of Bath, Town of Florenceville-Bristol, Village of Centreville, local service districts of Glassville, Upper Kent, Wicklow, Peel, Wilmot, Lakeville and portions of the local service districts of Aberdeen, Kent and Simonds.
Jules Bossé, president of the Association of Local Service Districts of NB, says the group supports the return of elected representation in LSDs. (Radio-Canada)
A group representing local service districts recently released a report saying its members support changes to LSD governance.
"We agree with reform, but it has to be well done and it meets all of the needs to be fulfilled," said Jules Bossé, president of the Association of Local Service Districts of NB.
Bosse said the group is also seeking more clarity on where revenues collected by the province are spent, particularly when it comes to roads.
"We all want to pay our fair share, but we feel we pay more than our fair share for the roads," he said.
Shawn Tabor Taxes have to go up. It’s truly not rocket science. Me and just alittle of me, and you know what the other folks have. Me deserves that. Ever hear of the saying,” I pay my taxes so me deserves that. “That being said “ love that line. LOL. We have the most government workers per population in the western Hemisphere. Have a great safe day and weekend.
Richard Ames Reply to @Shawn Tabor: I think the answer to the high number of public servants is to first find out what the hell they are all doing (our services are sub par), then get rid of the positions that are not necessary to deliver services effectively. It is not just to raise taxes. Taxes and government don't exist to create jobs for people (who typically know someone in government), they exist to provide services.
Blueprint for Suburban and Rural Local Governance Reform in New Brunswick Submission to the Honourable Daniel Allain, Minister For Local Governance And Reform
Association of Local Service Districts of NB September, 2021
Mission The Association of Local Service Districts of NB recognizes the unique and important way of life established in New Brunswick’s unincorporated areas (LSDs) and therefore acts as a voice to defend the common economic, political and social interests of residents to government, while working to promote growth for strong regional engaged communities
Report compiled and edited by Jules Bosse, Master’s of Education Administration, President, ALSDNB Kim Reeder, Master’s of Environmental Management, Member of ALSDNB
Blueprint for Suburban and Rural Local Governance Reform in NB ALSDNB September 2021
Contents
A. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 5 B. STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES ........................................................................ .6 C. LOCAL GOVERNANCE ................................................................................... 7 1. Structure ............................................................................................................... 7 2. Collaboration ....................................................................................................... 8 3. Land use planning ............................................................................................... 9 4. Finance ................................................................................................................ 9 4.1 Taxation ............................................................................................................ 9 4.2 Roads .................................................................................................................10 D. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................10 E. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................14 Appendix A ..............................................................................................................15
A. INTRODUCTION This submission from the Local Service District Association of New Brunswick (ALSDNB) is made after extensive consultations with LSD residents throughout the province. This document reflects the most commonly heard messages from LSD residents over the past year. These consultations have allowed us to identify current trends in the state of LSD management, its effects on residents and options that have potential to advance suburban and rural local governance and service delivery. These options must be further verified by each LSD, as no two are the same.
We note that this submission is also consistent with one of the identified purposes of the Green Paper, which calls for a reduction in the number of administrative entities from 236 to between 20 and 30 local governance units for suburban and rural areas province-wide.
Many of the residents of unincorporated New Brunswick consider it a priority to maintain and promote the unique lifestyle and environment of their communities. The areas known as local service districts are home to a large community of interest representing nearly 33% of New Brunswick's population and over 80% of the land area. These residents expect a local governance structure based on their needs, priorities, principles and challenges. Therefore, the ALSDNB advocates for a decentralization of legislative and administrative power expressed in a suburban and rural governance structure. The following statements and structures have been developed by and are therefore culturally appropriate and applicable only to a suburban and rural governance model (hereafter referred to as the LSD governance unit). This plan is relevant to all rural and suburban residents, regardless of demographics, ancestry or language profile.
B. STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
1. Right to Democracy Restore the right to vote for local representation through independent and impartial elections under the responsibility of Elections NB, in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which has not been possible since the 1970s.
2. Interest-Based Governance Units Based on extensive discussions with LSD residents to date, each local governance unit would be composed entirely of elected representatives of suburban and rural residents.
3. Fair property tax rates and local governance Local regulation of property tax rates and the receipt of a fair share of current (equalization/gas tax) and future funding from various federal and provincial grant mechanisms are essential to the advancement of local governance in the province.
C. LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The following section attempts to summarize the extensive consultation with LSD residents across the province on the 4 pillars outlined in the Green Paper. Additional feedback from LSD residents on each of the 4 pillars can be found in Appendix A.
1. Structure Aspects of the Green Paper included in options D and E best reflect the vision of consulted LSD residents:
D. Opportunity: Create new or reconfigured local governance entities The Province could establish new or reconfigured local governance entities, based on minimum tax base and population criteria, that reflect broader communities of interest...
E. Option: Combine LSDs into local government entities Combine LSDs only into larger local government entities, with the Rural Community being the preferred model...
A statement which more accurately represents the LSD vision, and combines opportunities D and E is as follows;
Establish new or reconfigured local governance entities, which would be based on minimum tax base and population criteria (D), composed entirely of LSD representatives (E).
As with an electoral district, which is superimposed on existing boundaries, there is no need to eliminate or merge LSDs. Nor is it necessary to establish common boundaries and no plebiscite is required. It is only necessary to define communities of interest (similar to an electoral district) and to ensure democratic representation
The following section attempts to summarize the extensive consultation with LSD residents across the province on the 4 pillars outlined in the Green Paper. Additional feedback from LSD residents on each of the 4 pillars can be found in Appendix A(mayor and council or board of directors) in a local and regional decision-making process. • Each local governance unit will be responsible for the sound financial management and administration of basic services such as fire, police, solid waste and recycling collection, lighting, animal control, etc., which are currently the responsibility of the LSD Regional Manager's Office and the Regional Services Board (RSB). • Land use planning is an excellent example where the LSD and regional governance entities need to collaborate. • Once the LSD governance districts have been established and elections have been held, the LSD governance units will develop service benchmarks based on the needs of suburban and/or rural areas, based on LSD priorities, principles and challenges. These service benchmarks will be reviewed at regular intervals, based on changing demographics and other inherent factors.
2. Collaboration
The democratic deficit, resulting from the absence of a democratic electoral system since the 1970s, has had a restrictive effect on the power of LSDs to collaborate regionally. • It is expected that the creation of elected and therefore accountable LSD governance units, with their own budgets in each region, would energize and increase collaboration between communities. • Credible data and evidence of economic, social, cultural or environmental benefit for all parties, must be the basis of regional collaboration • For each collaborative regional service delivery initiative or responsibility, the cost components (use, population, land area or other component) must be identified and appropriately allocated in cost and benefit-sharing agreements
3. Land use planning
Land use planning can only succeed if democratic representation is in place and if planning is based on integration of the natural, social, cultural and economic environment, rather than artificial political boundaries placed on a map. • We must also recognize the unique attributes of suburban and rural areas which challenge the urban dominated planning approach. • Land use plans that affect the LSD area must be developed with democratically elected suburban and rural decision makers. • An inventory of existing rural plans and land-use regulations in the LSDs will be necessary. Some by-laws will need to be revised and others will need to be developed by subject matter experts for each territory under the direction of each LSD governance unit.
4. Finance Transparency of financial statements of revenues and expenditures should be required for all levels of government and service delivery agents.
4.1 Taxation • Fair and effective taxation does not start with LSD residents subsidizing municipalities, landlords, second home owners and business property taxes, without their deliberate choice to do so.
4.2 Roads
• The main users of rural transport infrastructure are business and industry in general and, to a lesser extent, LSD residents. • However, it is solely the residents of owner-occupied LSD properties, representing 33% of the New Brunswick population, who contribute 46.5% of the cost of local and regional road services. • The components of road infrastructure costs (use, population, land area, etc.) must be identified and appropriately allocated in cost and benefit-sharing agreements. • Due consideration must be given to the fact that LSD residents also contribute to municipal and provincial road and infrastructure projects through the distribution of provincial and federal taxes and, more specifically, through the asymmetrical distribution of the Gas Tax Fund. • This reform must provide solutions, transparent accounting and fairness for tax payers in the management of road infrastructure.
D. CONCLUSION
Over the past year, LSD residents have been developing a blueprint for a suburban and rural governance structure. While the provincial government and municipal associations have had access to funding for their participation in the reform process, the LSD efforts have not. Our investment has been significant, with a big learning curve. By meeting and discussing issues from across the province, we have confirmed that the realities of local governance and service delivery vary considerably from region to region. Therefore, as noted in the introduction, this blueprint can only serve as a guide, and the need for a thorough discussion with each LSD, not just those represented on the Regional Services Commission Boards, will be necessary if New Brunswick is to prosper.
Within our learning process, one main discovery, consistent across the province, is that a fair and collaborative process of local governance reform appears to be missing. However, we believe that the process can be improved if it is injected with transparent social, environmental and economic accountability, as well as additional meaningful consultation with all LSDs, not solely those representatives which sit on RSC boards.
With regard to the financial pillar, we need accessible and transparent accounting and a shared understanding of the management of LSD revenues, especially with respect to the distribution of federal and provincial funding. To be productive partners in local governance reform we also need the opportunity to view and provide feedback on any proposed distribution of cost and benefit components for new governance and service delivery models, and their relationship to taxation.
With respect to road infrastructure, we need to see the distribution of use and cost components, and how they are reflected in taxation.
The values, productivity and contributions of suburban and rural residents to the stewardship of ecosystem services and nature-based recreation must be attributed. As we have seen recently with the global pandemic, New Brunswick must become increasingly self-sufficient, and our way to do this is to invest in and encourage social and economic diversity throughout the province.
There is every indication that the lack of democratic governance of the LSDs, coupled with the centralization of power and services, has contributed to a decline in food self-sufficiency, the virtual disappearance of the cooperative movement, and an economy that is less diversified and accessible to LSD residents - in short, a general impoverishment of the province. In addition to the effects on the economy, this major democratic failure has also had effects on the deterioration of health services and a decrease in access to justice services; particularly affecting LSD residents.
Today's LSDs are communities of interest that must not only be preserved as part of our heritage, but also promoted and provided their fair share of investment dollars which will work to to rebuild the foundation of a sustainable and thriving New Brunswick economy. New Brunswickers recognize that it is the land base of LSDs that provides flood mitigation services, food, and our connection to and respect for nature, all of which are essential to a prosperous future.
Reform must recognize that municipalities benefit from the activities within LSDs. LSDs are an important and essential part of New Brunswick's economic supply chain and environmental "insurance". Due to the obvious lack of transparency in the province's financial statements, the failure to recognize the volunteer infrastructure of LSDs related to outdoor recreation, and the disregard for the ecosystem services provided in the LSD land base, LSDs have come to be viewed as the "weak link" in society, when in fact they are the crown jewel. The success of this reform relies on the availability of credible, good quality data, from which to base analysis and decisions.
Reform must also recognise that the LSD landscape is not just about resource extraction - an ideal NB has intensely and almost exclusively supported for too long. For example, camp leases on Crown land provide more revenue to provincial coffers than clear-cutting the same spaces every 40-60 years. Reform is the perfect opportunity to examine and reconcile disparities related to costs and benefits of diverse and often competing, economic sectors, with the goal of benefiting all New Brunswickers.
LSD residents also call on the federal government to fulfill its responsibility to ensure that equalization and gas tax transfers are accessible and contribute to the well-being and development of all segments of the population, including the 33% of LSD residents. The contributions of LSD residents to these funds have not been redistributed equitably. Access to these revenues has been limited by biased and selective criteria.
Genuine collaboration, and therefore positive outcomes from local governance reform, must recognize and mitigate the lack of transparency and literacy in the province's finances, which has not been resolved, and will lead to continued bias in the local governance reform process.
E. REFERENCES
ADSLNB. 2021. Reaction to the Green Paper, Brief presented as part of the reform of local governance in New Brunswick after extensive consultation with LSD residents.
Finn, Jean-Guy. 2008. Building Sustainable Local Governments and Regions: An Action Plan for the Future of Local Governance in New Brunswick. Report of the Commissioner on the Future of Local Governance.
Government of New Brunswick. 2020-2021. Working Together to Build Vibrant and Sustainable Communities, Green Paper.
Leclerc, André and Pierre-Marcel Desjardins. 2021. AFMNB : An in-depth reform for the benefit of all communities.
Taylor, Zack and Jon Taylor. 2021. Representative Regionalization: Toward More Equitable, Democratic, Responsive, and Efficient Local Government in New Brunswick. Research Report #4. London, ON: Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance, Western University. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/urbancentre-reports/5.
Appendix A The following questions were brought up repeatedly by LSD residents during local governance reform discussion and remained unanswered. • Is it fair that considering a higher consumption of fuel, the LSD residents (33% of NB) receive less than twenty percent (20%) of the Gas Tax Fund? • Is it fair that only 9% of the provincial equalization redistribution is administered for the benefit of the 33% of the NB population in LSDs? Regarding transportation infrastructure, the following questions came up continually. • How is the provincial transportation tax included in every gasoline purchase managed and distributed? • How is the tax revenue from recreational fuel and vehicle sales, which operate off-road, primarily on the forested trails of LSDs, managed and distributed? • How is the tax revenue from the forestry and transportation industries’ fuel and vehicle sales, which travel on local and regional roads, managed and distributed?
There were also questions regarding the management of activities and revenues with respect to Crown Lands, which are intended to benefit all New Brunswickers, but have higher impact in the LSDs where they are located. • How are the revenues from the various types of leases (camp, freshwater/fishing, industrial) on Crown land managed and distributed? • How are the royalties from logging on Crown land managed and distributed? • How are the revenues from the sale of hunting, fishing and vehicle licences managed and distributed?
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The Village of Minto was merged with the Village of Chipman and surrounding local service districts to create the municipality of Grand Lake. (Shane Fowler/CBC)
Daniel Allain, New Brunswick's minister of local governance reform, announced in 2021 plans to cut the number of local government entities from 340 to fewer than 100. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said the union told the Department of Local Government and Local Governance Reform that it would be important for municipalities to keep as many of their staff as possible. (Kandise Brown/Submitted)
