Tom Davis on City-Province relations
Happy City: The province sets the rules on what powers cities and other communities have. St John’s is governed by the St John’s Act which is 34 years old. Towns and municipalities recently got their own revised laws and new legislation for cities, including the City of St. John’s, is still in development.
This is an opportunity for you as a Councillor to have a say in how responsibilities and powers are shared between the City of St. John’s and the provincial government. What powers and responsibilities would you like the City to gain or relinquish as part of this process? How might the City be better able to address the needs of residents as a result of this change?
Tom Davis:
As St. John’s awaits new legislation, advocating for greater autonomy is crucial. I want the City to have more control over urban planning and housing development to address affordable housing needs swiftly. Additionally, having more say over environmental regulations would allow us to effectively combat climate change with local solutions. This autonomy would lead to more responsive, localized decision-making that reflects our residents’ needs more accurately.