Saint John asks province to review amalgamation of regional municipalities

Saint Johncouncil will ask the province to investigate whether the amalgamation of surrounding municipalitiesis a good idea, a motion that has already started dividing city councillors.

On Monday night, Coun. Ray Strowbridge made amotionrequesting the province "investigate and consider amalgamation of the greater Saint John area into one single Saint John regional municipality."

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Coun. Gary Sullivan stressed the idea still has a long way to go before becoming reality.

"I don't think for a moment that if this motion passes and we send a letter tomorrow that means by next Monday we're amalgamating," Sullivan said.

"[But] this is something that would take years. If you don't formally ask the question and get it on the table, it will never formally get talked about."

Joining with the city's largest neighbours Quispamsis, Rothesay and Grand Bay-Westfield would add 35,000 peopleto Saint John's population and vastly expand its service territory.

Not the first time

Discussions surrounding apotential merger have surfaced periodically for decades, both in high-level conversations and among citizens from all across greater Saint John.

Fairnessin my view,doesn't exist today as we struggle and others around us flourish.- Don Darling, mayor of Saint John

"If you want to get a conversation going in and around Saint John, just type 'amalgamation' on Facebook," Saint JohnMayor Don Darling said in his closing remarks.

Supporters of theidea often cite the report from Jean-Guy Finn, a 2008 document recommending the number of municipalities and local service districts in New Brunswick be reduced to 53 from about 350.

A similar report published in the 1990s led to the amalgamation in 1998 of several communities into what are now Rothesay and Quispamsis.

That same year,Grand Bay and Westfield also amalgamated and became Grand Bay-Westfield.

But this time, Strowbridgewants the city tosend a letter to Premier Brian Gallant, asking for aninvestigation ofamalgamation in the greater Saint John area.

Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant and Quispamsis Mayor Gary Clark both provided a definite "No"when CBC News asked them last week about a potential merger.

In Saint John on Monday, Deputy Mayor ShirleyMcAlaryandCoun. Sean Casey voted against the amalgamation motion.

"I don't like asking people when I know people are going to say,'No,'" McAlarysaid.

Who will benefit?

For other city politicians, it wasa matter of not knowing whether thechange would benefit the municipalities Saint John included.

"I'd want to have my ducks in order," saidCoun. Donna Reardon.

"I'd have to see a business case."

Saint John recently investedin a new water system,which had an estimatedprice tag of $216 million split between the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

Reardon suggested it might not make sense to absorb other towns.

"Maybe we're better off with the infrastructure we already have," she said.

Then there's amatter of the list of requests the city has made to the province already, including tax and arbitration reform.

Darlingpoints to unfairness

But others pointed out that many who livealong the Kennebecasis Valley commute to Saint John to work, using many of the city's services while still enjoying lower tax rates.

In an earlier interview, the Rothesay and Quispamsis mayors said their towns each contribute an annual$750,000to Saint John.

However, Darling saidthings could be better and asked if theother mayors would be willing to invest the time inexploring the idea.

"In my opinion, the situation that exists todayisn't adequate," he said.

"Fairnessin my view, doesn't exist today as we struggle and others around us flourish."