BILL 53
An Act to Amend the Municipalities Act
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, enacts as follows:
1 The Municipalities Act, chapter M-22 of the Revised Statutes, 1973, is amended by adding after section 190.09 the following:
REGIONAL MUNICIPALITIES
Regional municipalities
190.091( 1) On the recommendation of the Minister, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may make regulations respecting conditions and procedures that shall be complied with and criteria that shall be considered before
( a) the inhabitants of an area may be incorporated as a regional municipality,
( b) two or more regional municipalities may be amalgamated,
( c) a contiguous area may be annexed to a regional municipality,
( d) two or more regional municipalities may be amalgamated and contiguous areas annexed to the new regional municipality,
(e) one or more regional municipalities may be amalgamated with one or more municipalities or rural communities as a regional municipality and contiguous areas annexed to the new regional municipality,
( f) the territorial limits of a regional municipality may be decreased, or
( g) a regional municipality may be dissolved.
190.091( 2) The Minister may, and if petitioned by the regional municipality council shall, carry out a study to determine the feasibility of dissolving a regional municipality.
190.091( 3) A regional municipality shall not be dissolved except by a special Act of the Legislature.
190.091( 4) An area incorporated as a regional municipality shall include at least one municipality and shall have a population of 15,000 or more.
190.091( 5) Except where otherwise provided, all provisions of this Act or a regulation under this Act respecting a rural community and all provisions of any Act or in any regulation, rule, order, by-law, agreement, instrument or document respecting a rural community apply with the necessary modifications to a regional municipality.
Regional municipalities
190.092( 1) If an area complies with the regulations under subsection 190.091(1), on the recommendation of the Minister, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may by regulation
( a) incorporate the inhabitants of the area as a regional municipality,
( b) amalgamate two or more regional municipalities,
( c) annex a contiguous area to a regional municipality,
( d) amalgamate two or more regional municipalities and annex contiguous areas to the new regional municipality,
( e) amalgamate one or more regional municipalities with one or more municipalities or rural communities and annex contiguous areas to the new regional municipality, or
( f) decrease the territorial limits of a regional municipality.
190.092( 2) Despite paragraphs (1)(c), (d) and (e) and paragraphs 190.091(1)(c), (d) and (e), if more than one area is to be annexed to a regional municipality and those areas constitute a group, the Minister may annex the group to the regional municipality if
( a) the areas considered as a group are contiguous to each other, and
( b) at least one area of the group is contiguous to the regional municipality.
190.092( 3) For the purpose of this Act and the regulations, an area referred to in subsection (2) shall be deemed a contiguous area.