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The following statement was issued today by Jack Byrne, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs. It was also read in the House of Assembly: I am pleased to stand today and announce that today, Monday, May 9 is Municipal Awareness Day. This is a time for residents of our province to reflect on what their councils do for them. Municipal governments provide many essential services such as water and sewer, fire protection, waste management and countless other services. The benefits of municipal councils to residents is sometimes not clear. For instance, having community organized fire protection services helps keep the cost of insurance down for this type of coverage. Municipal councils ensure that communities have orderly and controlled planning. They provide basic services such as clean water, street lighting, garbage collection and recreational areas for children and families. All of these are important services which councils provide for residents on a daily basis. Every day councils and staff work hard so that residents get the best possible service for the best possible price. In Budget 2005, the provincial government recognized the importance of our municipalities by providing funding under the Municipal Capital Works Program, the Multi-Year Capital Works Program and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Infrastructure Program to the tune of $83 million and through $19 million in Municipal Operating Grants. This year, in particular, Municipal Awareness Day has important meaning because this September, residents in our municipalities will once again go before the polls and vote for their councils. Not only should we reflect on what our councils do for us, but we should consider how important they are to our democratic society. This is the opportunity for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to voice their opinion and elect whom they want to see represent them on the local level. However, the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities has conducted a poll which states that only 43.2 per cent of current councillors and mayors will seek re-election. We have partnered with the NLFM to promote how important it is for people to run for council. I am sure some of you have seen the television ads and more is planned for closer to September when people will be strongly considering whether or not to run. As a former mayor, I can certainly vouch for how important it is to sit on municipal councils. There are members on this side of the House of Assembly and on the other side who have also participated in municipal government. Most people volunteer their time and effort to sit on municipal councils. It is a difficult job but very rewarding. I want to take this time to encourage anyone who is even remotely considering running for council to give it serious thought, and to ask my colleagues on both sides of this house to encourage constituents in their districts to consider running. Municipal government is the backbone of our strong, democratic society. We need as many candidates as possible to ensure that on September 27, voters will have a choice on who will represent them. 2005 05 09 2:00 p.m. |
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