- Federation of Canadian Municipalities
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The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM, (French) Fédération canadienne des municipalités) is a civic advocacy group representing many Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence debate and policy, as it is main national lobby group of mayors, councillors and other elected municipal officials. It negotiates with the Government of Canada's departments and agencies on behalf of municipalities, and administers a number of funds.
Contents
History
In 1901, the Union of Canadian Municipalities was formed to represent the interests of municipal governments. Another association, the Dominion Conference of Mayors was established in 1935.[1] In 1937, these two associations were amalgamated into the Canadian Federation of Mayors and Municipalities which in 1976 would be renamed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.[2]
FCM was instrumental in negotiating the federal government's 2005 "New Deal for Cities" program under which Canadian federal gasoline taxes are remitted to municipalities.[3]
Personnel
The previous national New Democratic Party former leader Jack Layton is a former FCM president. The mayor of Summerside, PEI, Basil Stewart, has also been the president. He currently is the longest serving mayor of a municipality in Canada having been mayor since 1986. The organization's current president is Hans Cunningham, the Director of the Regional District of Central Kootenay, B.C.
Successes
• Delivering $2 billion each year to municipalities from a permanent federal Gas Tax Fund. Over the next 20 years, this gas tax transfer will be worth $40 billion to cities and communities.
• Successfully advocating for significant federal funding towards the $123-billion municipal infrastructure deficit. In the 2009 budget, the federal government committed more than $12 billion over two years in new and accelerated infrastructure funding to municipal priorities.
• In 2010-11, a municipality will receive $89.28 per capita from the GST and the Gas Tax Fund. The membership fee for FCM is only 0.125 of a cent per capita.
Sustainable Development
• FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) provides below-market loans and grants, as well as education and training services to support municipal initiatives that improve air, water and soil quality, and protect the climate.
Global engagement
• Since 1987, FCM’s international department has helped more than 200 Canadian municipalities and associations engage in development cooperation in more than 40 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean.
References
- ^ UBCM: The First Century. Granville Island. 2006. ISBN 1894694392. http://www.civicnet.bc.ca/siteengine/ActivePage.asp?PageID=302. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ Stevenson, Don and Gilbert, Richard (2005-12-22). "Coping with Canadian federalism: the case of the Federation of Canadian municipalities". Canadian Public Administration. http://www.articlearchives.com/society-social/communities-neighborhoods-cities/923842-1.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ "Government on track to deliver New Deal for Cities and Communities". Infrastructure Canada. 2005-02-01. http://www.infc.gc.ca/media/news-nouvelles/gtf-fte/2005/20050201ottawa-eng.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
External links
Categories:- Civic and political organizations of Canada
- Supraorganizations
- Organizations established in 1937
- Local government in Canada
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