Joining forces

Souris-area communities meeting to discuss possible amalgamation

A group of eastern P.E.I. communities is looking at the possibility of joining together.

Councils for Souris, Souris West, Central Kings and Eastern Kings will be meeting privately today to discuss the possibility of proceeding with a study to look at the pros and cons of amalgamating the area. Mayor Steve O’Brien said the possibility of amalgamation has been discussed on and off for a while now.

“It was left on the backburner to see how the Three Rivers worked out,” said O’Brien, adding that the process is still in an exploratory phase. “There are pros and cons, but it is worth looking at. A united voice would perhaps have more strength.

“But, really, you also have to look at the practicality of what it does to tax rates. That’s the big question on everybody’s mind, and what it would mean for services as well.”

O’Brien said the process was also previously delayed when Souris West chairman Pat O’Connor wrote a letter on behalf of several councils to Communities Minister Richard Brown, asking for guidance in possible restructuring. A response to that letter was mistakenly not sent in the mail, which resulted in Brown firing O’Connor and the rest of the former Souris West council this past fall for failing to comply with new municipal regulations. Brown later met with O’Connor, who was re-elected in November, to apologize for the mistake.

O’Brien said the councils will likely request the province fund the amalgamation study. He said he would also like a stipulation that individuals in unincorporated areas be involved through the entire process.