25 Stanley-area communities look into possible merger

A project to amalgamate 25communities north of Fredericton under the proposedNashwaak Rural Community moves to its first round of public meetings this week.

A preliminary feasibility study into the proposed community, which would amalgamate the local service districts of Estey's Bridge, Stanley and St. Mary's with the village of Stanley, was released Thursday.

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Mike Chamberlain, the chair of the project's steering committee, said he personally supports the project, but the point of the meetings is to provide information.

"We want to give them all the information we possibly can, so they can make an informed decision when it comes time to take the vote," Chamberlain said.

Population greater than some cities

According to the feasibility study, the Nashwaak Rural Community would have a population of about 8,300, making it larger than the city of Campbellton.

It would include 25 individual communities and have a tax base of about $616 million.

Unlike the proposal for a York Rural Community nearby, which will be voted on Oct. 23, the Nashwaakrural community would include an incorporated community, the village of Stanley.

Chamberlain said this means there will be some issues to work out.

"But I think we're going to be able to manage that very well," he said.

The village of Stanley would continue to have higher taxes than other areas in the rural community and would also receive some existing services other areas would not. The government mandates all services offered in an existing municipality must continue to be offered.

Competition for communities

There was some competition for land between the two proposed rural communities north of Fredericton.

Residents in several communities were courted by both the York and Nashwaak projects. Most of the disputed communities are part of the plebiscite on the York project.

Chamberlain said anything can happen after theYork vote, but the Nashwaak group is not currently looking to incorporate those communities, under direction from the Department of Local Government.

"We've been told that our proposal is to proceed along existing LSD and village lines," said Chamberlain.

Pepper Creek and Lower St. Marys, which are next to Fredericton, would be part of the new rural community, but Chamberlain saidthose communities would have an opportunity to opt out.

"From what I understand of the process, if the wanted to not become part of this rural community they have to take up a petition and say so," he said.

The first public meeting isMonday in Fredericton, with meetings to follow in Estey's Bridge on Oct 17, Stanley on Oct. 18, Peniac on Oct. 19, Killarney on Oct. 24 and Taymouth on Oct. 25.