Unincorporated communities would have stronger voice in Opposition bill
'The bill doesn't debate whether amalgamation is good or not'
PC MLA Brad Trivers is hoping to give Prince Edward Islanders living in unincorporated communities a bigger — and legislated — voice after how the amalgamation process has unfolded in Three Rivers.
He's tabled a private members bill to make changes to the Municipal Government Act.
If unincorporated areas want to form a municipality, they are required to have 30 per cent of the residents sign a petition before they can move forward.
But the same is not true when an amalgamation is initiated by the minister, or when a municipality tries to annex an unincorporated area.
"We just want to have the unincorporated areas have a voice. The bill doesn't debate whether amalgamation is good or not," Trivers said.
"We think forced amalgamation is not correct, and by giving unincorporated Islanders a voice, this means that everybody will know when it's being forced and when it's not."
The amendment would require the petition for annexations and minister-initiated amalgamations as well. It also outlines the option for a plebiscite so IRAC can find out how unincorporated areas feel.
In addition, the amendment would make an optional public hearing mandatory in the case of objections to the amalgamation.
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With files from Kerry Campbell and Krystalle Ramlakhan