Proposed amendments to the Municipality Act could ease requirements for municipalities

A member of P.E.I.'s official opposition is proposing amendments to the Municipal Government Act that would give municipalities on the Island some breathing room around administrative and financial responsibilities.

"If you go out and talk to small communities or small municipalities, they feel that Municipal Government Act is really pinching them and they feel under a lot of pressure to raise taxes so they can comply," said PC MLA Brad Trivers on Tuesday.

Under the Municipal Government Act, which took effect this year, municipalities are required to hold office hours for at least 20 hours a week and hire a chief administrative officer. They are also required to have services like municipal planning services.

The amendments Trivers has proposed would allow municipalities to have office hours for less than 20 hours a week or be able to have a shared office.

Certain mandatory services could be provided by the province if a municipality does not want or cannot afford them.

The amendments would also allow the Minister of Communities, Land and Environment to pay for a municipality's CAO if it can't cover the cost.

Some municipalities concerned about Act

Trivers said he hasn't yet consulted with the Federation of Municipalities, a questioned raised in debate Tuesday evening, but that he plans to do so.

He said he's spoken with several smaller municipalities that are concerned about certain requirements under the Act. Trivers added that the amendments aren't meant to drastically change the legislation.

"These amendments are really meant to give the minister the flexibility, communities the flexibility to still comply with the act and still continue to exist ... without having to raise taxes for their constituents," he said.

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