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About the Department

• Minister
• Vision
• Mission
• The Department focuses on
• Mandate
• Four Lines of Business
• Branches and Divisions
• Agencies
• Legislation

Vision

The vision of the Department of Municipal Affairs is a province built of communities with viable sustainable municipal services led by strong local governments.

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Mission

To support this vision, by 2011 the Department will have improved the efficiency of the municipal service model.

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The Department focuses on:

The Department of Municipal Affairs envisions a Province where people enjoy healthy, safe and sustainable communities supported by strong local governments. The Department supports financial stability and viability of municipalities and the efficient and effective delivery of municipal services. The department assists municipalities in meeting their infrastructure needs and provides the financial and administrative tools to support sound municipal governance.

The primary clients of the Department of Municipal Affairs are the 282 municipalities, 182 Local Service Districts and 136 unincorporated areas in NL. Based on the 2006 census, 89 percent of the provincial population resides within municipalities; approximately 7 percent reside in LSDs and 4 percent in unincorporated areas.

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Mandate:

The mandate of the Department of Municipal Affairs is derived from the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs Notice, 2003 under the Executive Council Act, and is informed by the legislation set out in the Schedule, which outlines the powers, duties and functions of the Minister, who is also appointed Registrar General. The Department of Municipal Affairs is directly responsible for all matters regarding to municipal and provincial affairs.

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Four Lines of Business:

1. Local Governance

   The Department strengthens local governance by:

   • Formulating land use policy and regional approaches to service delivery;
   • Providing municipal training to elected administrative officials;
   • Providing legislative interpretation to assist in the development of municipal by-laws;
   • Advising local government officials;
   • Conducting reviews of municipal administrative matters;
   • Administering grants and subsidies for community infrastructure;
   • Examining local governments’ financial operations;
   • Monitoring levels of debt;
   • Providing operational support;
   • Participating in inter-provincial policy development and knowledge sharing; and
   • Supporting regional cooperation initiatives.
2. Municipal Infrastructure and Engineering Services

   The Department guides infrastructure investments by:

   • Assessing needs and prioritizing municipal infrastructure investments;
   • Providing financial support for the development of municipal infrastructure;
   • Monitoring and providing guidance and advice on municipal infrastructure projects;
   • Advocating to the Federal Government, on behalf of municipalities, to secure long-term sustainable funding.
3. Employment Support

   The Department works with local, community-based sponsors to create short-term employment initiatives that provide enduring benefits to communities. Additionally, government has assigned to the Department the responsibility to provide similar employment support programs in areas affected by permanent closure of fish processing plants and to coordinate interdepartmental efforts to assist workers affected by permanent fish place closures.

4. Provincial Affairs

   The Department has statutory responsibilities in relation to the following provincial affairs:

   • Coordinating annual ceremonies to honor our veterans;
   • Approving the use of legislated provincial identification symbols;
   • Prescribing and evoking Newfoundland Daylight Time;
   • Great Seal of the Province; and
   • Registrar General for the Province

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