The Honourable Derek Bennett, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities, provided an update on the establishment of a Regionalization Working Group with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL) and the Professional Municipal Administrators (PMA).
The working group is guided by a Steering Committee comprised of the Deputy Minister and the President and Vice-President of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and will provide recommendations to the Minister toward effective regionalization. Recommendations from the group will be considered by the department for further action in moving forward with the regionalization initiative.
The working group is to meet at least once a month and is comprised of three representatives each from the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and the Professional Municipal Administrators. Working group objectives include:
- Establishing a baseline for the state of the sector today based on additional primary/secondary research;
- Reviewing relevant research literature for potential models of regionalization;
- Determining the most relevant good practices in regionalization;
- Virtually testing comparative models of regionalization;
- Engaging joint councils, local service districts and other groups of municipalities in testing models; and
- Preparing a report based on results of research, virtual models and in-person testing with recommendations.
The working group will report to the Minister on a recommended path forward by March 31, 2021.
Quotes
“I am pleased to see the progress that has already been made in finding constructive ways towards regionalization in our province. We have already seen success stories within some of our communities that have chosen the path to regionalization. Our Government will continue to work and build on those successes, but we need to make decisions that will impact residents and communities together with MNL and PMA and I am confident this working group will find positive solutions.”
Honourable Derek Bennett
Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities
“Regionalization is an important topic for our members. We talked about it at length during our first MNL virtual conference, held just last week. The partnership with the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities and PMA on this regionalization working group is exactly what we need to move this along. We look forward to the work ahead and to making recommendations for changes that are needed in our sector and our province now.”
Sheila Fitzgerald
President, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador
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Media contact
Lynn Robinson
Municipal Affairs and Environment
709-729-5449; 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca
Gail Woodfine
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador
709-753-6820, 725-1440
gwoodfine@municipalnl.ca