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The Newfoundland and Labrador government says work is still being done to create a new municipality on the Port au Port Peninsula, something requested by local service districts that have been trying to merge since 2022.
During the provincial election, Progressive Conservative Leader — now Premier — Tony Wakeham said he would allow Mainland and Three Rock Cove to join together and incorporate into a municipality as soon as possible if elected.
Wakeham said he’d been part of the process as the MHA for the region and said the local service districts had never been given a straight answer on why it hadn’t been done.
“Here you have local service districts who want to join together and the only thing stopping them is the provincial government,” Wakeham said during a campaign stop on Sept. 24.
Premier Tony Wakeham said he would make the new municipality a reality on the campaign trail. (Maddie Ryan/CBC)
According to an emailed statement from the provincial government Thursday evening, Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Chris Tibbs sent the local service districts a letter on Dec. 4 saying government’s analysis of the plan was completed and next steps were being looked at.
The parties met again six days later, the statement said, in what the province called a positive and constructive meeting.
Then, on Dec. 20, a response letter from the local service districts was sent to the department that showed the districts thought negotiations were on the right path.
“It is evident from our discussion that your department is taking the required action to proceed to the next step. For that we are grateful,” reads a part of the letter, which was shared with CBC News by the department on Thursday.
Discussions between the department and the local service districts are continuing, according to the province.
The statement doesn’t provide any timeline for next steps.
Dec. 20 letter shows change in tone
Thursday’s statement issued by the department strikes a notably more positive tone than what had previously been reported by Radio-Canada in late December.
In the letter dated Dec. 4, Tibbs said the report concluded that the municipality would be financially sustainable, but that government analysis determined “there is a lack of certain information that could impact this conclusion,” Tibbs wrote.
“Your proposed budget may be insufficient to operate a town and will warrant additional conversation as we investigate next steps,” he added.
The minister also emphasized the budget proposed by the two local service districts did not include funding for the annual audit of financial statements, or funding for additional services including recreation and planning.
The four-page letter dated Dec. 20 outlines responses to concerns raised by Tibbs, and ends with the chairpersons of the local service districts saying they look forward to “timely action on our incorporation.”
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