Welcome to our newly elected mayors and councillors! I expect you will find the next four years to be both challenging and rewarding.
Thank you to all who ran in the elections and all who have served in municipal government. We appreciate the time and energy you have dedicated to your municipality and our province.
I encourage all mayors and councils to reach out to the Federation of PEI Municipalities to share your ideas and questions. As the voice of PEI municipalities, we are here to work for you.
The Federation has been working to address the many issues Island municipalities face in terms of resources and capacity. We held a productive discussion with Honourable Jamie Fox, Minister of Fisheries and Communities, at our board’s annual meeting with him on October 20. I will meet with the Minister again in the coming weeks to try to progress with solutions.
The Minister has also arranged a meeting with me to discuss the municipal elections. Following the elections, seven municipalities (including one that has applied to dissolve) have vacancies. Fewer candidates and lower voter turnout are concerns for the health of our municipal election process. Minister Fox has expressed his priority to find ways to build engagement in all aspects of community life.
Building strong municipalities is integral to building our communities, giving residents local input, preserving our environment and landscape, planning for climate change, responding to emergencies, and protecting our quality of life. We look forward to a productive four years of advocating on your behalf.