The Halifax region could have more than 100 elected municipal representatives if the province’s plan goes through.

Municipal Relations Minister Jamie Muir introduced legislation for a Halifax charter Friday. It would allow citizens to create district councils that would each consist of a regional councillor as chairman or chairwoman and four other elected members.

If all 23 districts in Halifax Regional Municipality adopted the idea, it would create 92 more elected representatives. Add in the mayor and regional councillors and the number of elected representatives for the municipality would become 116.

Coun. Andrew Younger (East Dartmouth-The Lakes) said the concept doesn’t make much sense, considering there are already community councils consisting of three to six councillors.

"We’re trying to streamline things," he said. "I really don’t think people want more government. I think they want less government."

The idea is similar to what Matthew Christie, who ran unsuccessfully for council in last month’s Bedford byelection, promoted in his platform. Mr. Christie is Mr. Muir’s executive assistant.

Mr. Christie has also served on the executive of a Bedford group that lobbies for more control over decisions and spending in the former town.

Mr. Muir said he has met with Bedford residents on the issue but said Mr. Christie had nothing to do with making district councils part of the proposed charter.

"He and I have never talked politics in Bedford," the minister said. "It’s totally hands-off."

Mr. Muir said the rationale for district councils is to give people more of a say on local issues.

At least 10 per cent of electors in a district would have to ask regional council for a district council, and then there would be a plebiscite on creating one, paid for through an area rate.

If 70 per cent of voters in the district said yes, a district council would be created. Its members would not be paid.

But district councils would have no spending power.

That disappointed Donna Lugar, secretary-treasurer of the Bedford Community Council Association.

"We can make councils up the ying-yang without any financial implications," she said. "What we would like is to have some of the tax money from Bedford come back to Bedford."

Ms. Lugar said it would make sense for Bedford residents to make decisions on local issues like recreation, potholes and street lights instead of leaving it up to regional council.

She also said current community councils may not reflect a "community of interest, per se." Bedford is now part of a community council with two Sackville districts.

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly, a former Bedford mayor and councillor, said he was disappointed the province didn’t consult regional council on the district council issue.

"It may bring some concerns and it may bring some increase in need for resourcing, and our intent is not to spend more but to find a way to refine and spend what we have more effectively," he said.

Mr. Kelly said he still needs to go through the details of the proposed charter, most of which is lifted from the Municipal Government Act.

Mr. Muir said other cities such as Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver have their own charters. One advantage of Halifax having its own charter would be that it would allow regional council to make decisions on matters that now require the province to change the Municipal Government Act, which applies to all municipalities. For example, regional council approached the province in 2001 about an issue related to trees in development areas, and the issue is just now part of proposed changes to the Municipal Government Act because the province had to look at the impact on forestry elsewhere, city solicitor Mary Ellen Donovan said.

The charter, and another piece of legislation related to the Halifax by Design process, would also shorten the development application and appeals process.

Mr. Muir said he doubts the legislation will get through this spring, with the House session expected to wrap up next week.

Liberal Diana Whalen (Halifax-Clayton Park) said district councils raise a red flag with her.

"This is another level of governance, and I think it’s got to be looked at very carefully because it does open a lot of debate about where this will lead," she said.

New Democrat MLA Becky Kent (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage) said she’s concerned because district councils are not something that regional council has asked for.

With Jennifer Stewart, staff reporter

( djackson@herald.ca)