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Kelly Vodden, MNL/CCRC Research Associate

Kelly Vodden, MNL/CCRC Research Associate. Results of the 2007 Census. Changes to questions, data collection methods and response rate since 2003 2007: 170/282 municipalities – 60%. Staff, Mayor and Council Regional Cooperation Financial/Taxation Issues, Office Equipment/ Technology.

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Kelly Vodden, MNL/CCRC Research Associate

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  1. Kelly Vodden, MNL/CCRC Research Associate

  2. Results of the 2007 Census • Changes to questions, data collection methods and response rate since 2003 • 2007: 170/282 municipalities – 60%

  3. Staff, Mayor and Council Regional Cooperation Financial/Taxation Issues, Office Equipment/Technology Services Equipment Infrastructure Regulations Training Other Question Categories

  4. Analysis by MNL Region and by Size • Small – less than 1,000residents - 77% of municipalities, 72% of respondents • Medium – 1,000 to 3,999 - 17% of municipalities, 19% of respondents • Urban – 4,000+ - 6% of municipalities, 9% of respondents - excludes City of St. John’s

  5. Staff Significant differences in human resource capacity • 49 communities (40% of small towns) without full-time staff • Small towns average 1 permanent full-time, 5 total • Reliance on part-time and temporary staff (25% FT vs. 44% medium, 69% urban) • Medium – 6 FT, 13 total • Urban – 51 FT, 73 total • Avg. 6 employees in Northern, 21 in Labrador

  6. Staff • 45.5% covered under a collective agreement • Small municipalities 6%, medium 37%, urban69% • Non-wage employee benefits provided by 34% of municipalities: 20% small to 87% of urban • Ability to attract and retain staff? • Staff skills and expertise?

  7. Mayor and Council • Average of 6 members per council • 96% of available seats are occupied • Ranging from 95% in small to 100% urban • Higher % contested elections in 2005 vs. 2001 • 38% of sitting council members intend to run again in the next election vs. 43% in 2003 (53% unsure) • 9% not intending to run again vs. 57% in 2003

  8. Mayor and Council • Increase in # of municipalities offering remuneration (from 64% to 71%) • - 85% in Central, 55% in Labrador, 69% med, 87% urban • Increase in the average remuneration • Mayors by 3%, councillors by 15.5%(unadjusted) • Varying remuneration amounts

  9. Training - 48% answered that their council had attended municipal training since 2005 (42% small, 66% medium, 80% urban) - 66%fromMunicipal Training and Development Corporation (MTDC), 57% MNL • Councillors avail of training 1-2 times per year in 51% of municipalities • 47% indicate the same frequency for staff

  10. Councillor Diversity – 51% of the NL population are women • 28% of councillors are women: 16.5% in medium, 19% urban, 33% small towns • Labrador has the highest proportion of female councilors (39%, Northern 37%), Avalon, Central and Western the lowest (26%)

  11. Councillor Diversity • Over 20% of council members 60 years+ (Task Force 2005) • 2007 - 34% retired – 40% 56+ (~ 28% pop) - 30% 46-55 (~ 17% pop) - 30% 21-45 (~ 33% pop) * Preliminary 2007 Councillor results

  12. Most municipal councils (56%) meet monthly, 41% meet every two weeks • Only 60% of small municipalities have committees of council, rising to 100% of urban • 57% have committees with citizen members: 40% Northern, 48% Eastern vs. 89% Labrador • 83% utilize a newsletter for communication, public meetings and brochures also heavily used

  13. Regional Cooperation • 74% of municipalities sharing services with neighbouring municipalities or other partners, rising from 53% in 2003 • Most common in urban municipalities (93%) vs. 67% of small municipalities • Central 85% vs. Eastern region 61% • Significant increase on the Avalon, decline in Labrador

  14. Regional Cooperation • 323 service sharing arrangements identified • Fire protection most commonly shared (41%) • Followed by waste disposal (35%) and garbage collection(25%) • Fee for service most common (38%) • Sharing with other municipalities (77%), LSDs (29%)

  15. Why share services? • Maintain existing services: 56% • Cut costs: 52% • Provide new or improved services: 40% • Establish good relationships: 37% • Improve environmental practices: 36% • Share information and ideas: 26% • Increase revenues: 13% • Access to government funding: 10% • Varies by region and size

  16. Finance • 58% of municipalities saw their revenues increase from 2006 to 2007 (49% 2003) • Only 8% experienced revenue decreases • Increases in 81% of Western municipalities vs. 45% of Northern, 50% of small communities Caution: how much was the revenue increase? Increases in costs? type of new revenue?

  17. Finance • 80% have problems with delinquent taxpayers (88% of small towns) • decreased from 87% overall in 2003 • Municipalities with 30%+ of 2006 tax revenue outstanding: 20% in 2003, 9% in 2007 • Better in some regions (Avalon, Eastern), worse in others (Labrador, Northern) since 2003!!

  18. Office Technology • 79% of municipalities have internet access vs. 57% in 2003 • 74% of small, 87% of medium and 100% of urban municipalities • Reliance on dial-up internet fell from 89% in 2003 to 40% in 2007: 43% in small, 5% medium and 0 urban, Central 63%, Northern 50%, Labrador 10% • Only 46% have a website (a decline since ’03)

  19. Services • # of municipalities that run their own fire department dropped to 75 from 81%, sharing increased • 95% are run by volunteers • 31% pay an honorarium to volunteer firefighters (up from 23% in 2003)

  20. Services • # of municipalities using landfill sites for solid waste increased to 81% (from 68%) and those using incinerators fell to 20% (from 34%) • 37% have recycling in their municipality • 80% urban, 23% medium 34% small • 10% Northern/11% Eastern vs. 53% Central • 63% contract out municipal services (garbage collection #1, snow removal #2)

  21. Infrastructure • - 81% or more of residents are hooked up to a municipal water system in 81% of municipalities, to a municipal sewer system in 58% of municipalities • - 70% dispose of wastewater and sewage via an outfall to a water body, 10% have primary and 2% secondary treatment • - 47% contain properties using private septic systems • - 80% have a fire hall, 78% parks and playgrounds, 20% an arena, 13% (22 responding towns) a swimming pool

  22. Economic Development • 65% participate in their REDB, 49% in a Chamber of Commerce, 32% in an RDA, 16% a CBDC • 19% have an economic development committee • 12% their own economic development staff

  23. Prospects for your town/city five years from now?- better or much better than today44%- same or unsure 43%- worse or much worse 13% * Preliminary 2007 Councillor results

  24. Thank you to the 170 municipalities that participated in the 2007 Municipal Census survey!!

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