Kelly Vodden, MNL/CCRC Research Associate

Results of the 2007 Census Changes to questions, data collection methods and response rate since : 170/282 municipalities – 60%

Question Categories Staff, Mayor and Council Regional Cooperation Financial/Taxation Issues, Office Equipment/ Technology Services Equipment Infrastructure Regulations Training Other

Analysis by MNL Region and by Size Small – less than 1,000 residents - 77% of municipalities, 72% of respondents Medium – 1,000 to 3, % of municipalities, 19% of respondents Urban – 4, % of municipalities, 9% of respondents - excludes City of St. John’s

Staff Significant differences in human resource capacity 49 communities (40% of small towns) without full- time staff Small towns average 1 permanent full-time, 5 total Reliance on part-time and temporary staff (25% FT vs. 44% medium, 69% urban) Medium – 6 FT, 13 total Urban – 51 FT, 73 total Avg. 6 employees in Northern, 21 in Labrador

45.5% covered under a collective agreement Small municipalities 6%, medium 37%, urban 69% Non-wage employee benefits provided by 34% of municipalities: 20% small to 87% of urban Ability to attract and retain staff? Staff skills and expertise? Staff

Mayor and Council Average of 6 members per council 96% of available seats are occupied –Ranging from 95% in small to 100% urban –Higher % contested elections in 2005 vs –38% of sitting council members intend to run again in the next election vs. 43% in 2003 (53% unsure) –9% not intending to run again vs. 57% in 2003

Increase in # of municipalities offering remuneration (from 64% to 71%) - 85% in Central, 55% in Labrador, 69% med, 87% urban Increase in the average remuneration –Mayors by 3%, councillors by 15.5% (unadjusted) Varying remuneration amounts Mayor and Council

Training - 48% answered that their council had attended municipal training since 2005 (42% small, 66% medium, 80% urban) - 66% from Municipal Training and Development Corporation (MTDC), 57% MNL Councillors avail of training 1-2 times per year in 51% of municipalities 47% indicate the same frequency for staff

– 51% of the NL population are women 28% of councillors are women: 16.5% in medium, 19% urban, 33% small towns Labrador has the highest proportion of female councilors (39%, Northern 37%), Avalon, Central and Western the lowest (26%) Councillor Diversity

Over 20% of council members 60 years+ (Task Force 2005) % retired – 40% 56+ (~ 28% pop) - 30% (~ 17% pop) - 30% (~ 33% pop) Councillor Diversity * Preliminary 2007 Councillor results

Most municipal councils (56%) meet monthly, 41% meet every two weeks Only 60% of small municipalities have committees of council, rising to 100% of urban 57% have committees with citizen members: 40% Northern, 48% Eastern vs. 89% Labrador 83% utilize a newsletter for communication, public meetings and brochures also heavily used

Regional Cooperation 74% of municipalities sharing services with neighbouring municipalities or other partners, rising from 53% in 2003 –Most common in urban municipalities (93%) vs. 67% of small municipalities –Central 85% vs. Eastern region 61% –Significant increase on the Avalon, decline in Labrador

323 service sharing arrangements identified Fire protection most commonly shared (41%) Followed by waste disposal (35%) and garbage collection (25%) Fee for service most common (38%) Sharing with other municipalities (77%), LSDs (29%) Regional Cooperation

Why share services? Maintain existing services: 56% Cut costs: 52% Provide new or improved services: 40% Establish good relationships: 37% Improve environmental practices: 36% Share information and ideas: 26% Increase revenues: 13% Access to government funding: 10% Varies by region and size

Finance 58% of municipalities saw their revenues increase from 2006 to 2007 (49% 2003) Only 8% experienced revenue decreases Increases in 81% of Western municipalities vs. 45% of Northern, 50% of small communities Caution: how much was the revenue increase? Increases in costs? type of new revenue?

80% have problems with delinquent taxpayers (88% of small towns) decreased from 87% overall in 2003 Municipalities with 30%+ of 2006 tax revenue outstanding: 20% in 2003, 9% in 2007 Better in some regions (Avalon, Eastern), worse in others (Labrador, Northern) since 2003!! Finance

Office Technology 79% of municipalities have internet access vs. 57% in % of small, 87% of medium and 100% of urban municipalities Reliance on dial-up internet fell from 89% in 2003 to 40% in 2007: 43% in small, 5% medium and 0 urban, Central 63%, Northern 50%, Labrador 10% Only 46% have a website (a decline since ’03)

Services # of municipalities that run their own fire department dropped to 75 from 81%, sharing increased 95% are run by volunteers 31% pay an honorarium to volunteer firefighters (up from 23% in 2003)

Services # of municipalities using landfill sites for solid waste increased to 81% (from 68%) and those using incinerators fell to 20% (from 34%) 37% have recycling in their municipality 80% urban, 23% medium 34% small 10% Northern/11% Eastern vs. 53% Central 63% contract out municipal services (garbage collection #1, snow removal #2)

Infrastructure - 81% or more of residents are hooked up to a municipal water system in 81% of municipalities, to a municipal sewer system in 58% of municipalities - 70% dispose of wastewater and sewage via an outfall to a water body, 10% have primary and 2% secondary treatment - 47% contain properties using private septic systems - 80% have a fire hall, 78% parks and playgrounds, 20% an arena, 13% (22 responding towns) a swimming pool

Economic Development 65% participate in their REDB, 49% in a Chamber of Commerce, 32% in an RDA, 16% a CBDC 19% have an economic development committee 12% their own economic development staff

Prospects for your town/city five years from now? - better or much better than today 44% - same or unsure 43% - worse or much worse 13% * Preliminary 2007 Councillor results

Thank you to the 170 municipalities that participated in the 2007 Municipal Census survey!!