March 9, 2020
Manitoba Introduces Legislation That Would Streamline Municipal Acts
– – –Municipalities Provided Fair Say to Strengthen Election Rules: Squires
The Manitoba government has introduced legislative changes that would increase transparency, create a level playing field and provide a fair say to municipalities for municipal elections, Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires announced today.
“Voters in municipal elections should have the same assurances as those in provincial elections that their elected officials are not unfairly using their position as incumbents or using taxpayer resources to influence voters,” Squires said. “These changes also include measures that have been requested by municipalities that will reduce red tape for them during elections.”
The proposed changes include measures such as:
• giving fair say to municipalities to pass a bylaw establishing rules and procedures for the use of municipal resources in a municipal election by candidates;
• restricting incumbents from using their position title in election communication;
• allowing Brandon, Thompson, Portage la Prairie and Flin Flon to set their council size, aligning practices among all other municipalities outside of Winnipeg;
• streamlining how all municipalities are required to refund excess taxes in a fair manner, effective July 1;
• exempting regional public libraries from municipal taxation to ensure public libraries remain exempt from municipal taxation; and
• strengthening provisions to protect vulnerable Winnipeg residents facing a tax sale from unscrupulous lenders.
The province has had ongoing consultations with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and many of these changes are the result of municipal requests. Additional consultations will occur as the changes are implemented, as they are expected to be in effect for the 2022 Municipal General Election, the minister noted.
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