As part of the symposium, the various regions of the organization held caucus meetings to discuss the provincial budget and the fiscal framework arrangement.
Western director Elmo Bingle of Deer Lake said the western caucus meeting was attended by about 34 people and also included a visit from MNL president Churence Rogers.
Bingle said the framework arrangement announced in advance of last Thursday’s budget is one that MNL has been working on for a number of years and people from the region are generally pleased with it. For municipalities, the HST rebate and the fact they will retain the municipal operating grants for another three years are two good things.
There has been some criticism of the province giving municipalities the HST rebate and then increasing the sales tax from 13 per cent to 15 per cent, but Bingle doesn’t share in that.
“That was inevitable whether or not you got the fiscal arrangement,” he said. “We couldn’t stop that part.”
Bingle said the government has to balance the budget somewhere, either by slight tax increases or cutting back on jobs.
As for what the money will mean for municipalities, like many others, Bingle said it will give them a better opportunity to do some of the infrastructure work that’s needed.
Now that the fiscal framework arrangement has been complete, Bingle said the next big thing on MNL’s radar is regional government. That’s something that was also highlighted in the budget with the province’s plan to appoint an advisory committee to explore the potential for a new regional governance structure.
Bingle said this is something on the minds of a lot of people, especially those living in smaller areas. With aging populations and changing demographics, he said, it’s something that will have to take place sooner or later.
“In order to survive, it’s regional government that’s going to have to play a part there.”
