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Putting Down Roots: Collaboration for Change

Putting Down Roots: Collaboration for Change. Mayor Graham Letto, President Presentation to Ministers of Local Government July 8, 2009, St. John’s, NL. Overview of Presentation. Common Issues & Shared Solutions MNL Organizational Overview Provincial Context & Current Situation

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Putting Down Roots: Collaboration for Change

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  1. Putting Down Roots:Collaboration for Change Mayor Graham Letto, President Presentation to Ministers of Local Government July 8, 2009, St. John’s, NL

  2. Overview of Presentation Common Issues & Shared Solutions MNL Organizational Overview Provincial Context & Current Situation Building Capacity - Strengthening the Roots Community Cooperation Resource Centre Sustainability Self-Assessment Rural-Urban Interaction Research Local Action for Developing Regions Economic Crisis Response Toolkit

  3. Common Issues &Shared Solutions • Duty to Consult with Aboriginal Communities • Adaptation to Climate Change • Rural Municipal Sustainability • Working Relationship with Provincial/Territorial Governments • C-SPO

  4. Organizational Overview • Established in 1951 • 276 paid memberships (98%) • 2009 budget: $1,215,050 • Headquarters building, 460 Torbay Road • Seven regional Directors, two caucus Directors, Vice President, President • Seven staff • www.municipalitiesnl.com

  5. Ongoing Activities • Advocacy • Membership Services • Events • Research • Facilitation • Communications • Consultation

  6. Provincial Context • First municipal government in 1888 • Next in 1941 • Majority occurred in early 1960s • Little grassroots push for democracy • Means of accessing/influencing spending from St. John’s/Ottawa • Single tier system • Basic services outside urban areas

  7. Current Situation • 633 communities, 281 municipalities • 519,000 population • 75% of municipalities have population under 1,000 • 50% under 500 • 74% of municipalities have 1 staff or fewer • 50% of councils did NOT have an election in 2005 • Service expectations expanding • Service requirements increasing

  8. Current Situation • Current revenue tools are limited • Tax base • Assessments increasing, but fewer tax payers • Concentration of commercial/industrial tax base • Pressure for “competitive” taxes • Enforcement and collection difficulties • Lack of professional advice • Planning, engineering, administration

  9. Community Cooperation Resource Centre • President’s Task Force on Municipal Sustainability • Support through the provision of: • information and awareness; • research; and, • facilitation and advisory services • Dedicated staff • Participation increase: 53% (2003) to 74% (2007) • Joint councils increased from 8 to 16 • Most annual milestones exceeded within 9 months • Regional cooperation “on the agenda”

  10. Sustainability Self-Assessment • Begin to address planning gap • First step in broader ICSP process • Facilitated process • Broad definition • Governance, environment, finances, service delivery, infrastructure, economy, regional cooperation • Five staff, 20 weeks, 255 municipalities • Public reports

  11. Rural-Urban Interaction:Understanding and Managing Functional Regions • MNL, Memorial University, University of Kentucky, and Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation • Better understand the linkages between and within regions • Identify and map (GIS) “functional” regions, create Economic Capacity Index • Assess governance mechanisms, identify gaps, investigate alternatives

  12. Local Action for Developing Regions • 10 years • 91% satisfaction • Highlighted by OECD • Workshops • Study Tours • Ascent newsletter • Website • Development Guides

  13. Practical tools integrated into existing work Focus on economic development and: Municipal Taxation Infrastructure Shared Municipal Services Land-use planning Major projects Each guide will have: Background and rationale Step-by-step planning tools Templates and sample documents Funding source suggestions Partner suggestions Development Guides

  14. Economic Crisis Response • A program of support to help municipalities manage crisis • Toolkit • Before crisis • Immediate response • Short-term response • Continual response • Workshops • Examples

  15. Discussion Points • Fundamental change is necessary and possible • Enhanced planning capacity at a regional level is a prerequisite • Structural change is needed to build on fiscal reform • Informed public debate is required • Improved, systematic public policy research is required

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