November 7, 2013 Open House Manitoba Municipalities Modernization Act RM of Daly & Town of Rivers.

AMALGAMATION

November 7, 2013 Open House

Manitoba Municipalities Modernization Act

RM of Daly & Town of Rivers

On September 13, 2013, The Province of Manitoba passed BILL 33 creating a new law known as;

THE MUNICIPAL MODERNIZATION ACT (MUNICIPAL AMALGAMATIONS)

They presented the following as their reasoning for promoting amalgamation.

Amalgamation history

WHEREAS municipal boundaries were first established more

than 100 years ago;  AND WHEREAS the boundaries no longer reflect where people

live, work and do business;  AND WHEREAS municipalities need to have adequate

populations to provide essential infrastructure and services to their citizens;

THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts THE MUNICIPAL MODERNIZATION ACT

Provinces reasons for amalgamation

3(3) In developing their amalgamation plan,

the municipalities must provide a reasonable opportunity for members of the public to comment on the content of the proposed plan.

Why did we invite you here?

This Open House will provide council the

opportunity to present the draft plan to you, and to invite your comment on the specifics of the draft amalgamation plan for the Town of Rivers and The Rural Municipality of Daly.

We will be asking for those comments on this process at the end of our presentation.

Your part in the process

The new Municipal Modernization Act provides

a number of regulations which affect both the Rural Municipality of Daly and the Town of Rivers as they prepare to amalgamate.

The legislation

In this Act, the population of a municipality is

to be determined by reference to the census of population taken by Statistics Canada in the year 2011.

2011 Census RM of Daly - 830 Town of Rivers - 1189

Population of our municipalities

3(1) A municipality that consists of an area

with fewer than 1,000 residents must — acting jointly with its amalgamation partner or partners as identified under section 4 — prepare an amalgamation plan respecting the amalgamation of the municipality and its partner or partners effective January 1, 2015.

Do we have to amalgamate?

3(4) An amalgamation plan must be submitted

to the minister no later than December 1, 2013.

When does the plan have to be completed

4(1) To determine the amalgamation partner

or partners of a municipality that consists of an area with fewer than 1,000 residents (in this section called "A“(RM of Daly)) the neighbouring municipalities must work cooperatively with A, and with each other, in identifying which of them is to act as A’s amalgamation partner or partners.

Why is Rivers a part of amalgamation

4(2) In identifying A's (RM of Daly’s)

amalgamation partner or partners, preference is to be given to the municipality or municipalities that have the strongest community of interest with A.

Rivers is a great fit

The RM of Daly and the Town of Rivers already

share many common initiatives Fire Department Planning District Recreation Library Waste disposal site Conservation District Community Development Corporation

Why is it a good fit

8(8)b) all the debts, obligations and liabilities of

the municipalities that are amalgamated become the debts, obligations and liabilities of the newly amalgamated municipality;

However, the re-payment of existing debt remains with the corresponding ratepayers as governed by the current borrowing by-laws until they are paid.

What about the debts?

14.1(1) If a municipality that has its own police

service or that receives policing services from another police service amalgamates with another municipality that has its own police service or that receives policing services from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, each policing entity may — despite any provision of this Act — continue to operate within the area where the entity provided policing services before the amalgamation, subject to the application of subsection (3).

What about police service?

14.1(2) An amalgamated municipality referred

to in subsection (1) must make arrangements to have a single policing entity provide policing services in the municipality in accordance with section 13 or 14, as the case may be, no later than five years after amalgamation.

Policing in 5 years

If an amalgamated municipality fails to make

policing arrangements as required by subsection (2) within five years after amalgamation, policing services in the municipality after that deadline are to be provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under an agreement entered into under section 18.

Continued…

168(3) A council of a municipality that is formed

as a result of the amalgamation of two or more municipalities (in this subsection called the "old municipalities") may, by by-law, require that a reserve fund established by an old municipality be used only in relation to expenditures that primarily benefit the area of the old municipality.

How are reserves to be spent?

Councils of both municipal corporations have

met jointly, and drafted a plan to be submitted to the Province of Manitoba as required by the legislation.

The Amalgamation Plan for the Town of Rivers and the RM of Daly contains the following information:

The Plan proposed by Councils

The new municipality will be a “Rural

Municipality” because it will not meet the 400 people per square kilometer requirement of an urban area.

Although the town will no longer be a legal

corporation, it will still be known as Rivers.

Will we be rural or urban?

Councils of the RM of Daly and the Town of

Rivers propose that the new municipal corporation be named

“Riverdale Municipality”

A new name

The office of the new municipality is proposed for the current Town of Rivers office.

Where will the new office be?

The new municipality will encompass the former RM of Daly boundaries and will include the area currently occupied by the Town of Rivers.

Boundaries of the municipality

The new council size proposed is 6 councillors

and 1 Head of Council elected at large from the new municipality.

Determining if Head of Council will be called Reeve or Mayor will be determined later.

How many councillors will there be?

The CAO’s of both corporations have jointly

completed a 2013 Financial Plan comparison, and it appears that both the RM and the Town share a very comparable tax requirement. The mill rates are nearly the same and with the use of special service and local improvement by-laws, taxation can be fairly distributed in a manner very similar to how it is today.

How will my taxes be affected?

Based on 2013 comparisons of Financial Plan.

Portioned Amalgamated RM of Daly Town of RiversAssessments 71,782,740 44,405,270 27,377,470

Total Mill Rates Current Projected Difference

RM of Daly 22.520 21.881 -0.639Town of Rivers 21.570 21.497 -0.073

The numbers

The next municipal election will be held on

October 22, 2014.

Kat Bridgeman will be appointed Senior Election Official for the 2014 Election.

The Town of Rivers Campaign Expense and Contribution By-Law will be used in the 2014 General Municipal Election.

Election time

The current Town of Rivers and RM of Daly

councils will remain in office until December 31, 2014.

The new Riverdale Municipal Council will take office on January 01, 2015.

The First meeting of the new Riverdale Municipal Council will be held on January 13, 2015.

When does new Council take over?

The requirements for the amalgamation plan are simple at present. There will be many other things to work out before 2015. Ensuring that the ratepayers receive the best service for their tax dollars will be the most important task as we move ahead.

What’s next?

Your help started by attending this meeting and

supporting your councils as they move forward with amalgamation. Being involved is an important part of a successful municipal government.

Please encourage good people to let their name stand for the new council. Choose carefully because they will be your representatives at the new council table. Each member of council will represent the entire municipality.

Make sure you vote for them October 22, 2014!!!

What can I do to help?

For anyone who would like to review or print a copy of this

presentation, it will be available on the Town of Rivers – RM of Daly web site at www.riversdaly.ca or copies may be obtained at your municipal office.

Please forward any further comment you may have, in writing,

before November 15, 2013, to Rural Municipality of Daly Town of Rivers Box 538 Box 520 Rivers, Manitoba R0K 1X0 Rivers, Manitoba R0K 1X0 Fax: 204 328-4431 Fax: 204 328-5374 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

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