Municipal consolidation in the 1990s: An analysis of British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia

Canadian Public Administration

Volumn 41, Issue 2, 1998, Pages 239-283

  Vojnovic, Igor ^a  

^a NONE

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 0347804949     PISSN: 00084840     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1754-7121.1998.tb01538.x     Document Type: Article

References (49)

1. W. Derksen, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Doubtful Relation Between Size and Performance," Local Government Studies 14, no. 6 (November/December 1988), pp. 31-47; Michael A. Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Growth of the Local Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science 32, no. 1 (February 1992), pp. 39-53; George Boyne, "Local Government Structure and Performance: Lessons from America?" Public Administration 70, no. 3 (Autumn 1992), pp. 333-57; Andrew Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions: Adapting Form to Function (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy [IRPP], 1994); George Boyne, "Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government," Policy and Politics 23, no. 3 (July 1995), pp. 213-22; Peter Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, Rural Development Institute, 1996).
2. W. Derksen, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Doubtful Relation Between Size and Performance," Local Government Studies 14, no. 6 (November/December 1988), pp. 31-47; Michael A. Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Growth of the Local Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science 32, no. 1 (February 1992), pp. 39-53; George Boyne, "Local Government Structure and Performance: Lessons from America?" Public Administration 70, no. 3 (Autumn 1992), pp. 333-57; Andrew Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions: Adapting Form to Function (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy [IRPP], 1994); George Boyne, "Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government," Policy and Politics 23, no. 3 (July 1995), pp. 213-22; Peter Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, Rural Development Institute, 1996).
3. W. Derksen, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Doubtful Relation Between Size and Performance," Local Government Studies 14, no. 6 (November/December 1988), pp. 31-47; Michael A. Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Growth of the Local Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science 32, no. 1 (February 1992), pp. 39-53; George Boyne, "Local Government Structure and Performance: Lessons from America?" Public Administration 70, no. 3 (Autumn 1992), pp. 333-57; Andrew Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions: Adapting Form to Function (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy [IRPP], 1994); George Boyne, "Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government," Policy and Politics 23, no. 3 (July 1995), pp. 213-22; Peter Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, Rural Development Institute, 1996).
4. W. Derksen, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Doubtful Relation Between Size and Performance," Local Government Studies 14, no. 6 (November/December 1988), pp. 31-47; Michael A. Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Growth of the Local Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science 32, no. 1 (February 1992), pp. 39-53; George Boyne, "Local Government Structure and Performance: Lessons from America?" Public Administration 70, no. 3 (Autumn 1992), pp. 333-57; Andrew Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions: Adapting Form to Function (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy [IRPP], 1994); George Boyne, "Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government," Policy and Politics 23, no. 3 (July 1995), pp. 213-22; Peter Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, Rural Development Institute, 1996).
5. W. Derksen, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Doubtful Relation Between Size and Performance," Local Government Studies 14, no. 6 (November/December 1988), pp. 31-47; Michael A. Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Growth of the Local Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science 32, no. 1 (February 1992), pp. 39-53; George Boyne, "Local Government Structure and Performance: Lessons from America?" Public Administration 70, no. 3 (Autumn 1992), pp. 333-57; Andrew Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions: Adapting Form to Function (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy [IRPP], 1994); George Boyne, "Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government," Policy and Politics 23, no. 3 (July 1995), pp. 213-22; Peter Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, Rural Development Institute, 1996).
6. W. Derksen, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Doubtful Relation Between Size and Performance," Local Government Studies 14, no. 6 (November/December 1988), pp. 31-47; Michael A. Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation and the Growth of the Local Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science 32, no. 1 (February 1992), pp. 39-53; George Boyne, "Local Government Structure and Performance: Lessons from America?" Public Administration 70, no. 3 (Autumn 1992), pp. 333-57; Andrew Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions: Adapting Form to Function (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy [IRPP], 1994); George Boyne, "Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government," Policy and Politics 23, no. 3 (July 1995), pp. 213-22; Peter Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, Rural Development Institute, 1996).
7. A. O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada and its Alternatives (Toronto: ICURR Publications, 1993), pp. 55-6.
8. Peter Diamant, The Structure of Local Government and the Small Municipality (Brandon: Brandon University, 1994).
9. O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada, p. 53; Diamant, Local Government and the Small Municipality, pp. 23.
10. O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada, p. 53; Diamant, Local Government and the Small Municipality, pp. 23.
11. th edition (Whitby, Ont.: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1995).
12. Price Waterhouse, Abbotsford and Matsqui: Report on Amalgamation Review (Vancouver: Price Waterhouse, 1990), p. 26.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid., p. 69.
15. By 1994, Clearbrook had two-thirds of Matsqui's urban concentration and was considered the business core of the district.
16. Price Waterhouse, Abbotsford and Matsqui, p. 31.
17. New Brunswick, Department of Municipalities, Culture and Housing, Strengthening Municipal Government in New Brunswick's Urban Centres (Fredericton: Queen's Printer, 1992).
18. Local service districts, which were formed in the 1960s, are political jurisdictions considered to be rural New Brunswick. In November 1963, the Royal Commission on Finance and Municipal Taxation's Report (commonly known as the Byrne Report) noted enormous variation in local service availability across the province. Differentiation in fiscal capacity among local jurisdictions produced considerable inequities in service provision. In order to maintain a more equitable level of local services, the province introduced local service districts. They replaced counties and became administered jurisdictions of the province as part of New Brunswick's Equal Opportunity Program, 1967.
19. New Brunswick, Department of Municipalities, Culture and Housing, Strengthening Municipal Government, p. 43.
20. Leo Burns, Tim McCarthy and John Robison, Miramichi City: Our Future - Strength Through Unity (Fredericton: Local Government Review Panel, 1994), p. 10.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid., p. 14.
23. Multiplying the residential rates by 1.5 can derive the non-residential rates in each of the former jurisdictions.
24. Burns, McCarthy and Robison, Miramichi City, p. 39.
25. Halifax Regional Municipality Act, S.N.S. 1995, c. 3, subsection 82 (8a) [Bill 3].
26. Nova Scotia, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Task Force on Local Government, Report and Briefing Book to the Government of Nova Scotia (Halifax: Ministry of Municipal Affairs, 1992), p. 5.
27. Ibid., p. 22.
28. Ibid., p. 43.
29. William Hayward, Interim Report of the Municipal Reform Commissioner: Halifax County (Halifax Metropolitan Area) (Halifax: Halifax Metro Region, 1993), p. 5.
30. Ibid., p. 1.
31. Ibid., p. 123.
32. Allan O'Brien, "The Times They Are A Changin': Municipal Restructuring in ... ," Plan Canada 35, no. 4 (July 1995), p. 30.
33. Ibid.
34. Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions; Tindal and Tindal, Local Government in Canada.
35. Sancton, Governing Canada's City Regions; Tindal and Tindal, Local Government in Canada.
36. Halifax Regional Municipality, Proposed Tax Structure Reform (Halifax: Halifax Metro Region, 1996), p. 9.
37. Ibid., p. 25.
38. Direct comparisons by department are difficult because the administration has been completely restructured.
39. Public Sector Compensation (1994-97) Act, S.N.S. 1994, c. 11.
40. Halifax Regional Municipality, Proposed Tax Structure Reform, p. 13.
41. Halifax Regional Council, Committee of the Whole Minutes, January 14, 1997 (Halifax: Council, 1997), p. 8.
42. Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality; O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada; Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation," Journal of Regional Science; Beverly Bunch and Robert Strauss, "Municipal Consolidation: An Analysis of the Financial Benefits for Fiscally Distressed Small Municipalities," Urban Affairs Quarterly 27, no. 4 (Winter 1992), pp. 615-29.
43. Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality; O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada; Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation," Journal of Regional Science; Beverly Bunch and Robert Strauss, "Municipal Consolidation: An Analysis of the Financial Benefits for Fiscally Distressed Small Municipalities," Urban Affairs Quarterly 27, no. 4 (Winter 1992), pp. 615-29.
44. Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality; O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada; Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation," Journal of Regional Science; Beverly Bunch and Robert Strauss, "Municipal Consolidation: An Analysis of the Financial Benefits for Fiscally Distressed Small Municipalities," Urban Affairs Quarterly 27, no. 4 (Winter 1992), pp. 615-29.
45. Diamant, Consolidation and the Small Municipality; O'Brien, Municipal Consolidation in Canada; Nelson, "Municipal Amalgamation," Journal of Regional Science; Beverly Bunch and Robert Strauss, "Municipal Consolidation: An Analysis of the Financial Benefits for Fiscally Distressed Small Municipalities," Urban Affairs Quarterly 27, no. 4 (Winter 1992), pp. 615-29.
46. Jacques Desbiens, La Taille Ideale Pour Offrir Les Services Municipaux au Québec (Le Groupe Jacques Desbiens, 1996).
47. J. Kushner et al., "The Determinants of Municipal Expenditures in Ontario," Canadian Tax Journal 44, no. 2 (March/April 1996), pp. 451-64.
48. KPMG, An Estimate of Potential Savings and Costs from the Creation of Single-Tier Local Government for Toronto (Toronto: KPMG, 1996), p. 16.
49. While the reduction in elected officials from sixty to twenty-four amounted to only $298,878, the annual operating budget for the city was approximately $414,000,000.