Revenue sharing a snag in new municipalities act

One of the more contentious parts of a new Municipalities Act for P.E.I. — now in the draft stage — will be the revenue-sharing formula between the province and the municipalities, says the head of the working group developing the new legislation.

That part of the legislation is still a work in progress, said Summerside deputy mayor Bruce MacDougall, president of the Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities.

"There was just a little difference of opinion and you get that the odd time in politics right? Now we've got the fly out of the ointment and we're starting to move forward. We're both on the same page, hopefully. We're at least in the same book,"

A working group of mayors, chief administrative officers and provincial municipal affairs staff have been trying to hammer out a new agreement.

And MacDougall said he hopes the legislation will pass in the legislature next spring.

In last week's throne speech, the province said one of the goals of the new act is to give municipalities more control over their own affairs.