 |
The linkage between the Province and Manitoba and
its municipalities is simple and direct. Provincial legislation
provides for the existence of municipal governments and specifies
their duties and powers. Within the parameters of this legislation,
municipal government is autonomous in its own house, and a municipal
council is a corporate and independent decision-making body.
Over time, the increasing range of provincial and
municipal government services necessitated a broader linkage. As a
result, the Department of Municipal Affairs was established in 1953
and the Department of Urban Affairs was established in 1971 to
coincide with the enactment of a new City of Winnipeg Act. The mandate
of Municipal Affairs, outside of City of Winnipeg, was subsequently
further expanded to more accurately reflect its client base and the
expanded nature of its responsibilities. In 1989, Municipal Affairs
became the Department of Rural Development.
In
1999, these two departments, with similar responsibilities for
municipal government, came together to form one department focused on
working collaboratively with all local governments, communities and
the people of Manitoba. The Department of Intergovernmental Affairs
was established.
|
 |
