About Local Government

Before amalgamation, LSD residents could participate on Advisory Committees but had no real say in local government. Every decision about local matters such as property taxes and land use was made by the province with limited input from residents. After amalgamation, residents of former LSDs now have elected representatives in the municipal government of Five Rivers. In fact, because of amalgamation, Five Rivers established four voting wards:

• Ward 1 is made up of portions of the former LSDs of Harcourt, Weldford and St. Paul
• Ward 2 the remainder of the LSD of Weldford
• Ward 3 is the former LSD of Richibucto Parish
• Ward 4 is the former Village Rexton

In our new local government, each ward is represented by one member of Council who must reside in the ward. In addition, Council has two at-large members of Council to represent all of Five Rivers. So, for the first time, LSD residents have a direct say in local decisions. In addition to having representation in local government, residents of former LSDs can now turn to their local government matters related to planning, zoning, land use, waste, unsightly premises, and more. To do so, residents can contact the municipality of Five Rivers (506.523.6921 or info@5-rivers.ca) for information and support or bring the matter directly to the attention of Council.

Most local government revenue comes from the taxes and fees that it charges residents for services. Property taxes and user fees (for example, from recreation programs and special events) pay for the services that the municipality provides, except for wastewater services, which are paid for through wastewater user fees. After these taxes and fees, the local government receives some funding from the province and other local governments (for example, when our Fire Departments provide protection for a neighboring municipality).

Every municipality is responsible to manage two types of budgets: operating budgets and capital budgets.

• Operating budgets pay for short-term operating expenses and expenditures, for example, for salaries, rent, utilities, materials, supplies, bank fees, and debt charges.
• Capital budgets pay for long-term assets that have a significant value and useful life, for example, vehicles, machines, heavy equipment, and buildings.

All municipalities in New Brunswick must manage two operating budgets: general operating and utility operating. The general operating budget contains revenues and expenses for all services not directly related to water, wastewater, and utilities. The utility operating budget, as you may have guessed, contains revenues and expenditures for all services that are directly related to water, wastewater, and utilities. Operating budgets are one-year budgets that must be submitted to the province each year in November for the following year. In any given year, for either budget, if total revenue exceeds total expense or expenditure, the surplus must be carried forward two years (that is, a surplus in 2025 must be carried forward to the 2027 budget). If the reverse occurs, and expense or expenditure exceeds revenue, the deficit must be carried forward two years.

Capital plans are multi-year plans that define the capital projects that municipalities will execute to add or upgrade capital assets. For example, to add a new fire truck or build a new recreation centre. To secure Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF) funds from the federal government, which provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to municipalities such as Five Rivers, Council must prepare and submit a special 5-year plan to the province (the province administers the CCBF program for the federal government). In addition to the CCBF plan, the municipality can (and should) develop its own long-term capital plan, in which other projects are paid for through savings, grants, or debt (long-term borrowing). In most cases, municipalities transfer any annual surpluses in their operating budgets into long-term capital funds, or capital savings, that the municipality can then use to pay for capital projects.

A bylaw is a law made in accordance with the powers conferred to the Council of Five Rivers under the Local Governance Act of New Brunswick. A municipal bylaw is no different than any other law of the land. It can be enforced with penalties and challenged in court, and it must comply with higher levels of law (from the provincial or federal government). Municipal bylaws are enforced by municipally appointed by-law enforcement officers and are enforceable through the public justice system. In many cases, offenders can be charged with a criminal offence for the breach of a bylaw. A policy is a written statement approved by Council. In most cases, a policy (a) articulates a purpose, (b) defines key objectives and/or values, (c) prescribes the actions to be taken or steps to be followed in different situations, and (d) defines any related roles, responsibilities, and authority. Many municipalities use policies to address areas such as procurement, grants, development incentives, and asset management.

To update or create a by-law, a municipality must define a subject matter and a scope for the by-law. For example, a by-law could be defined to regulate the use of off-road vehicles within the municipality. After defining the subject matter and scope, Council and administration will seek to identify the issues to be addressed by a particular by-law. For example, a by-law regarding off-road vehicles might address when residents may drive certain types of off-road vehicles in certain areas. In most cases, after identifying the issues, similar by-laws in other municipalities will be reviewed to confirm that the subject matter, scope, and issues of the proposed by-law or by-law amendment are appropriate. Often, municipalities will rely on committees to examine and revise the detail of a proposed by-law. Several versions may be produced before the committee believes the by-law is ready for Council to vote on it. Once a by-law goes to Council, it must be read three times by Council to be enacted. Two of the three readings can take place in one Council meeting.

All residents of Five Rivers are welcome and encouraged to have their say in their local government. The primary ways to get involved in your local government are as follows.

• Vote in elections. The next municipal election will be held in less than 12 months, in May 2026.
• Get informed. To do this, follow and/or attend regular Council meetings, which take place on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 PM at the municipal office at 82 Main Street in Rexton. Residents can also attend special meetings and committee meetings, for example, about operating budgets or by-laws. Note that all public meetings of Council are recorded and posted to the web.
• Provide feedback to Council. Residents can contact any member of Council in person or by phone or email to share concerns and compliments. Contact information for each Council member is listed on the municipal website.
• Provide feedback online. The municipal website enables residents (and even non-residents) to share feedback. We also have a Facebook page where we share information about the municipality.
• Speak to staff. In some cases, administrative staff may have the information you’re looking for about subjects such as sewer bills, waste collection, or current by-laws.
• Present to Council. Residents can apply to make a formal presentation to Council during a regular meeting of Council. Presentations can be up to 10 minutes in length and questions from Council may follow.
• Join committees. From time-to-time, Council may form committees that include residents. At present, the municipality will invite four members of the public to participate on a special Rural Plan committee that will determine the content of the first-ever Rural Plan for the new municipality of Five Rivers.
• Attend open houses. Earlier in 2025, the municipality hosted two open houses for the public to discuss the future of the Rexton Recreation Center. The municipality solicited feedback from the public at these open houses and captured that feedback in a report that can be downloaded from the municipal website.
• Volunteer. The municipality often host special events that benefit from the input and support of volunteers. If you are ready and willing to volunteer your time, contact Council or staff to see how you might make a difference to your community.

Every resident of Five Rivers is welcome to make a presentation to Council on a matter of public interest. To do so, a resident must fill in a form provided by the municipality. The form enables the resident to explain the subject matter to be presented, for Council and administration to see and prepare for. Forms must be submitted ten (10) days before the scheduled meeting of Council. The Clerk or Assistant Clerk will notify all persons that have been approved to present to Council. 

At present, the answer is no. Five Rivers does not have one zoning by-law (or Rural Plan) that applies to every area inside Five Rivers. Instead, the former village of Rexton has its own Rural Plan, which applies only to the residents of Rexton. The former LSD of Harcourt also has its own Rural Plan, which only applies to Harcourt residents. The former LSDs of Weldford and Richibucto Parish do not have a Rural Plan. That said, the municipality will be working with the Kent Regional Service Commission to create a new Rural Plan for all Five Rivers. The new plan is expected to be released in early 2026 prior to the municipal election in May.

Yes and no. The Sewer System by-law only applies to residents of Rexton. The other by-laws apply to all residents, although many are being assessed and updated to better reflect the concerns of the new municipality.