Broadening democracy in New Brunswick's local service districts by engaging the public in the creation of shared service agreements
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Date
2013
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University of New Brunswick
Abstract
In a province that describes itself as a democracy, all areas of New Brunswick are
not represented at the local level. While all cities, towns, villages, and rural communities
are represented by an elected council, local services districts are not represented by an
elected mayor or council. Local service districts are provincial entities and are thus
represented by the Provincial Minister of Environment and Local Government.
There has been a great deal of public scrutiny of the provincial government
regarding the lack of a defined process for community service agreements, specifically
with shared service agreements. The shared service agreement seeks to maximize
efficiency and the value of citizens' dollars by sharing a service between two or more
communities such as recreation agreements. Local service district citizens have been
questioning the government's authority under the Municipalities Act for these legally
binding agreements. They are claiming that these agreements are unlegislated and
unregulated in the Act and Regulations which guide the procedure for the addition or
suspension of services.
This report will argue for a legislative process of shared service agreements.
Increasing the use of shared service agreements in local service districts meets the needs
of local citizens while also promoting participatory democracy where representative
democracy is absent. A legitimate shared service agreement process would address
transparency and accountability concerns from citizens, and local government structural
problems the provincial government appears eager to modernize.