Municipal Government in Canada Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Municipal Government in Canada - Term Paper Example The Municipal Government in Canada includes municipalities, villages, towns and cities. Municipalities entail a variety of rural municipalities likewise to metropolitan and regional governments that cater for huge urban areas. Responsibilities and powers which the Municipal Government in Canada exercise are normally set out in a general municipal statute also called the Municipal Act, Cities and Towns Act, Local Government Act and the Municipal Act (Bens and Charles K, 1986). Municipal Governments in Canada form policies, ensure their implementation and raise revenue which forms the large portion of sources which are the real property taxes and grants from provincial governments. Municipal Governments in Canada are responsible in forming policies which run the local governments and raise of revenue sources; which acts as the local legislature. In the constitutional Act, 1982, the Municipal Governments in Canada have their powers determined by provincial governments though their perfo rmance is evaluated by electorate in normal elections. 2. Are the principles and techniques of new public management still relevant in municipal government in Canada? Principles and techniques of new public management are still significant within the municipal government in Canada as they help in provision of Education, health, social services and finance. 2.1. Education, health and social services Secondary and elementary education is offered by school boards who are the school authorities which are usually independent from the local governments. These are also responsible to their own electorate of financing, administration and standards of education. School boards usually don’t gather taxes directly and rather there is the requisition of funds from the local municipalities who collect property taxes in their jurisdiction. Bens and Charles K (1986), the commissions, agencies and special boards also regarded as the components of Municipal Governments in Canada formed to eith er administer the functions usual to several separate municipalities or offer special services are generally regarded as outside mandate of ordinary town or city government. There is a changing pattern of performance responsibility in provision of welfare and health care. Within some provinces in Canada, the health providing units operate under the local provincial control and are almost taken the entire responsibility locally. In the field of welfare, care of the aged usually referred in Canada as seniors in terms of old age pensions, has established as the federal government function since 1920s (Richard Tindal and Susan, 1992). Huge responsibilities for other welfare services have slowly been considered by provincial and federal governments after their requirement and needswent beyond what the local authorities could offer (Bens and Charles K, 1986). 2.2. Finance Municipal Governments in Canada get their entire authority from provincial legislatures hence they have the minimum au tonomy in Canadian government. This is both a weakness and strength for them. Municipal Governments in Canada are normally considered to be the most financially prudent due to their stringent balanced budget needs and debts limits positioned them on provincial governments; with latter at least allowing borrowing on capital account (Richard Tindal and Susan, 1992). In most provinces there is the commission or municipal boards elected by