Frank Gale/The Western Star
“If the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador wants to start a war, then we’re (LSDs) more than happy to oblige,” she said following a presentation by Craig Pollett, chief executive officer of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, at a Southwest Coast Joint Council meeting in Stephenville on Saturday.
During his presentation, Pollett said five years ago MNL decided no matter how uncomfortable it would be, the organization would start discussing regional government and made presentations at a symposium, then at regional meetings.
“Me talking here today is still much a part of this process and we’re doing our best to come up with ideas and go to the provincial government with it,” he said.
Pollett said even the smallest municipality has to feel it is a part of this and regional government is a way for smaller communities to get together and afford services.
He said taxes and boundaries are the two big scary things that come up whenever regionalization is talked about but the fact is people have to pay taxes to get services and eventually regionalization, or some other level of government, is going to have to happen.
Pollett said that’s because people are aging in rural communities and pointed to some volunteer fire departments now having the majority of their firefighters over the age of 70 years.
“This is not amalgamation as no councils need to join together, no councils need to dissolve. Regional government will provide services most towns can’t afford,” he said.
Pollett said it’s his belief that if regional government was done correctly, it would prevent amalgamation down the road.
For local service districts it would mean becoming part of a municipality with 5,000 residents and significant property values adding up to $300 million.
This would likely mean one town for the Port au Port Peninsula with Port au Port East and Kippens inclusive.
Rowe said Sheaves Cove has always been and will continue to operate as its own independent body and the local service district has no desire to be controlled by a larger “super town.”
“We have our issues but we’re more than willing to continue dealing with them,” she said. “Many of our residents live on fixed incomes and we cannot fathom adding yet another fee/tax onto them.”
Rowe was upset with the fact local service districts had only a couple days notice of such an important meeting and that some were not even notified and questioned the motives of Peter Fenwick, joint council chair, on selective invitations.
Eric Legge of the Bay St. George South Local Improvement District called this regional government approach a nightmare, noting that you don’t know where the tax base would be.
He said the local service district concept is not perfect but said whether regional government would be better would have to be proven.
