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NB Votes '24: What Do Municipalities What From The Parties?



Welcome to another episode of Municipal Affairs.


With the 2024 New Brunswick Provincial Election underway, and voters gearing up to head to the polls on October 21st, today’s focus is on what municipalities in the province are hoping to hear—or have already heard—from party leaders on critical issues affecting local governments.


Our guest today is Andrew Black, President of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB), and we’ll be discussing the pressing concerns raised by New Brunswick’s municipalities as they call for a new fiscal framework and greater collaboration with the next provincial government.


Recently, UMNB released a pivotal report authored by Dr. Craig Brett, an Economics Professor at Mount Allison University. The report highlights an alarming funding gap for local governments in New Brunswick—estimated at $200 million annually.


This gap is compounded by a $2.5 billion infrastructure deficit, a $40 million reduction in municipal grants, and an increased reliance on residential property taxes.


The municipal organization is reiterating its call for the parties to close the gap and ensure that the provincial communities are funded adequately and sustainably over the long term.


Among the solutions proposed in the report Towards a New Fiscal Framework for New Brunswick Municipalities is a transfer of one point of the HST to municipalities, aimed at addressing operational issues and the growing infrastructure deficit—an arrangement already in place in provinces like Quebec and Saskatchewan.


But municipalities aren’t just concerned about finances; they are also calling for greater collaboration on key issues such as housing affordability and policing.


As we sit down with President Black, we’ll be discussing these critical matters, including UMNB’s call for a comprehensive provincial policing review and a commitment to build the right kinds of housing to support New Brunswick’s population growth.


So, What are municipalities hoping to see in party platforms? And what commitments do they expect to hear from the leaders vying to form the next provincial government?


Lets find out.


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