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SLIDE DECK 5:�My Community

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Guiding questions

  • What are the features of communities?�
  • How has the physical environment shaped my community?

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  • What actions can be taken to improve my community?

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Local governments

  • Municipalities and rural communities are responsible for meeting the needs of their communities.

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  • Municipalities are the most local level of government in Canada.

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Local governments in New Brunswick

New Brunswick is currently separated into 104 local governments.

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Key features :

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  • Powers and responsibilities approved by the provincial government
  • A clear geographic area with boundaries
  • An elected council
  • The power to tax (charge money to people or businesses)

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Local government types

  • Most communities in New Brunswick are classified as either a city, town, village, regional municipality or rural community.
  • A town, city, or village operates on its own and is categorized as a single municipality, whereas regional municipalities and rural communities include one or more communities.
  • This allows various local responsibilities to be shared among a group of communities for efficiency.

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Local government responsibilities

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Structure of the local council

  • Local councils include a head of the council and the elected councillors, collectively called council members.
  • The chair of the council is called a mayor.
  • Mayors are elected at-large (by all of the citizens living in a municipality or rural community).
  • Councillors can be elected at-large or by district (or ward). Districts are smaller areas within a local government. There can be one or more councillors elected to each district.

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The role of council members

  • Debate and pass by-laws (rules and guidelines for the community)

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  • Participate in budget planning and approval (how money is earned and spent)

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  • Review committee, board and commission appointments

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  • Oversee (watch over) municipal departments, services and programs

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  • Share issues and concerns from community members for discussion

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How are decisions made by council?

  • A local council makes decisions collectively.

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  • This means that it is the entire council as a whole that make decisions, not individual council members.

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  • Decisions are based on a majority vote (more than half the council members have to agree).

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Discussion

  • Can you identify any problems or challenges in our community?
  • Do you see any opportunities for improvement or innovation?
  • What actions could be taken to make a positive change in our community?
  • How can we share/protect the natural resources in our community? How can we create a more sustainable community?