Conception Bay towns hope they'll get 'better bang' for their bucks with new regionalization plan

The mayors of four small communities in Conception Bay have signed a memorandum of understanding to look at regionalization, which would see them sign onto projects together, share costs and services, and work to save their residents money.

On Monday, the mayors of Colliers, Conception Harbour, Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview and Avondale signed the memorandum for the regionalization pilot project, which will not lead to the amalgamation of their towns, but will rather serve as an agreement to share programming, where it makes sense.

Colliers Mayor Bridget Hynes said residents can expect no changes to their taxes as the towns work together to find efficiencies.

"We want to join in supplies and services, whether it be sand and salt in the winter, asphalt for paving in the summer, garbage and recycling services. The more you buy the cheaper that would be to share between four towns," she said.

We know that if we're gonna survive in the future, we've got to work together.- Mayor Mike Doyle

Conception Harbour Mayor Craig Williams, who works as an accountant, said the agreement should make it easier for the towns to get services they need, while also saving money.

"Trying to do a budget on $400,000 is pretty tough to do, so that's what we're looking for is just to save the residents money, keep the taxes as they are," said Williams.

"We're just looking to get better bang for our buck, and with the other communities, I think there's ample opportunity."

One of those services could be water, said Avondale Mayor Owen Mahoney, who added that his community has a "state of the art" water system that can supply the whole area. That would generate more revenue for Avondale, while saving the community of Harbour Main, for example, some of the cost of upgrading their aging water system.

The regionalization project was spearheaded by Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview Mayor Mike Doyle, who said the memorandum will run for a two-year term. Since all the mayors will be up for re-election next year, it will give them and possible successors a chance to find an approach that works best for them.

If it doesn't work, the agreement is non-binding;any of the communities can opt out if they choose.

"We believe we are stronger together. In the past we've competed against each other for grants; now this can be done in a more strategic manner to support each other in acquiring grants and resources, and looking at how we can provide services better to our residents," said Doyle.

There's a strength in numbers, too, Doyle said; the four small communities have more power together applying on behalf of nearly 4,000 people than they would as individual towns.

Not reinventing the wheel

Doyle grew up in Alberta, where his father was a member of the provincial legislature, and saw first-hand some of the difficulties when small towns apply for the same limited funds and grants.

Given the province's fiscal situation, Doyle said, working on a regional approach made sense to get as much as they could, and share those resources.

"We know that if we're gonna survive in the future, we've got to work together. We don't have to reinvent the wheel here," Doyle said.

"We already have the processes to apply for grants;we've just never done it in a strategic manner, we never co-ordinated, we were all in our own silos. And unfortunately when I first moved here I could sense some of that at some conferences I went to, it was, 'protect my stuff,' and so we've gotta get out of that mindset."

Doyle said the town will start the workof establishing best practices and terms of reference for how the regionalization agreement will work.

For example, if three of the four communities want to move forward with a joint project, but the fourth community doesn't want to, there would be no obligation to force that town onto the project while also allowing the three other towns to move ahead.

It's different from amalgamation, Doyle said, because it allows for each town to continue to be its own entity.

"I believe it achieves the same thing, but in a better manner," Doyle said.

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