Municipal Elections

As the race for mayor and council heats up in Saint John, Rothesay, Quispamsis and St. Martin’s, municipal issues are hot on everyone’s minds.

The challenges are different in every municipality; whether it’s water in Saint John or recreational facilities in the Kennebecasis Valley, municipalities are finding it harder and harder to meet the growing needs of their residents.

When I spoke last month at the Cities of New Brunswick conference, many hard working city and town officials shared with me the challenges they are facing to keep tax rates down to encourage growth while investing in their communities.

The story is the same across the country. During consultations in Ontario, BC, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia mayors and councilors feel shut out of the decision making process by the tax rich federal and provincial governments.

In the Liberal Urban Communities Caucus, we’ve been crafting a fiscally-responsible program to invest in cities, towns, and villages across the country to help them meet the needs of their residents, be it transit, affordable housing, or safe drinking water.

I hope everyone is carefully considering the proposals of the candidates in the municipal elections and asking the right questions to be able to elect the very best to govern our towns and cities as we seek to grow and build a better Greater Saint John.