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Monday, December 9, 2013

Provincial NDP Say Give Municipalities More Power

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy says municipalities around the province are being hamstrung because they don't know until late in the year how much money they'll have to work with. 

Cardy says the provincial Department of Economic Development should be scrapped and that money, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, should be divided up among the various municipalities.
 

Cardy says the current system with the provincial government giving out unconditional grants, which can change drastically from year to year, prevents long term planning from taking place on the municipal level.


If the municipal politicians don't spend the money wisely, Cardy says voters can then give them the heave ho.


Saint John is getting more money from the province next year but, despite that, the city's tax base is declining.