Newcastles of the World Newsletter March 2016
Newcastles News March 2016 Sent by email to over 2000 people and organisations in over 50 “ Newcastles” - please share it with your contacts too! MUNICIPALITIES DISCUSS MERGER Two of our Newcastles of the World have, coincidentally, become involved in discussions to merge with their neighbouring municipalities. On February 8th the legislative authorities of Neuchâtel and of three nearby Swiss villages, Corcelles- Cormondrèche, Peseux and Valangin, decided in principle to amalgamate. After this first positive step the population of the four municipalities will have to make this decision by referendum on June 5th. The authorities are convinced that this merger would provide many advantages. Confronted by more and more technical, legal and financial challenges, they consider that a wider approach and a common treatment of many issues would allow greater efficiency. The new municipality – still called Neuchâtel – would experiment with a new form of direct democracy with six "citizen's assemblies" (assemblées citoyennes) in the former villages and in several quarters of the present city of Neuchâtel for decisions about very local issues and with the facility to refer and adopt proposals addressed to the municipal legislative. The "new Neuchâtel" would have about 45,000 inhabitants, an increase of 10,000 on current numbers. In Australia, the City Council in Newcastle, New South Wales, has been responding to proposals from the state government to reduce the number of municipalities to achieve efficiencies and savings and to improve service to residents. The Council has stated a preference to stand alone, but if, as expected, mergers are to take place then it will most likely be with the smaller Port Stephens Council to the north, giving a combined population of 230,000.
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