COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN Dominica

DOMINICA
SUMMARY
Dominica is a democratic republic with two spheres of government: national and
local. There is no provision for local government in the constitution and the main
governing laws are the Town Council Act 1937, the Village Council Ordinance 1954,
the Carib Council Act 1978, the City Council Act 1984 and the Canefield Urban Council
Act 1984. The Ministry of Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs
(MSSCDGA) is responsible for overseeing all local government, which comprises
one city, one town and one urban council, 38 village councils and the Carib Council.
In 2017 elections, 35.0% of councillors elected were female, and in 2013/14, local
government expenditure was 0.9% of total government expenditure. Councils are
empowered to levy house and land taxes and borrow a limited amount of money,
while the national government’s contribution includes a revenue-matching grant and
a standard grant. The main service for which local government is responsible, and
which constitutes the major part of local government spending, is road maintenance.

1. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 2.2 Main legislative texts

Dominica has a unicameral parliament QQ Town Council Act 1937

known as the House of Assembly. The QQ Village Council Ordinance 1954

head of state is the non-executive QQ Carib Council Act 1978
president, who is appointed by
QQ City Council Act 1984
parliament after nomination by the
QQ Canefield Urban Council Act 1984.
prime minister in consultation with the
leader of the opposition, for a maximum
of two five-year terms. The House of 2.3 Proposed legislative changes KEY FACTS
Assembly has 30 members and one A report on proposed local government
ex-officio member, all of whom serve for reforms was submitted to cabinet POPULATION (2017 estimate):
a five-year term. Twenty-one members for its approval in 2015. The legislative 73,925
(representatives) are directly elected by review includes the formulation of a
universal adult suffrage to single-member national policy on local government, a AREA (UN 2006):
constituencies. Nine further members, comprehensive local government Act, and 751 sq km
known as senators, are appointed by the harmonised by-laws. As of August 2017,
CAPITAL:
president; five on the advice of the prime the local government reform process is still
Roseau
minister and four on the advice of the ongoing; however it is envisaged that it will
leader of the opposition. The president be complete by the financial year 2018/19. CURRENCY:
appoints the prime minister, who is East Caribbean dollar (XC$)
usually the leader of the majority party 2.4 National urban policy
HEAD OF STATE:
and, on the advice of the prime minister, There is no national urban policy;
President Charles Savarin
appoints other ministers to the cabinet. however, there is a national tourism
policy, which includes a tourism HEAD OF GOVERNMENT:
masterplan for Dominica. The tourism Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
2. LEGAL BASIS FOR masterplan outlines proposed
LOCAL GOVERNMENT development for the island’s urban FORM OF GOVERNMENT:
2.1 Constitutional provisions centres, namely the capital Roseau and parliamentary democracy
There is no provision for local the town of Portsmouth. PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM:
government in the constitution.13.2 unicameral

Table 13.1a Distribution of councils and population STATE STRUCTURE:

unitary
Population Population % rural
Parish City Town Urban Village Carib 2011 Census 2017 estimate (2010) LANGUAGES:
English (official)
St George 1 1 - 3 - 21,241 na na
NATIONAL ELECTIONS:
St John - - - 2 - 6,561 na na
last: December 2014, turnout: 57.0%;
St Peter - - - 2 - 1,430 na na next: 2019
St Joseph - - - 2 - 5,637 na na WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT (2014):
St Paul - - 1 2 - 9,786 na na 25.0%

St Luke - - - 2 - 1,668 na na LOCAL ELECTIONS:

last: rolling cycle, turnout: 18.0% (2014–17
St Mark - - - 1 - 1,834 na na
average); next: rolling cycle
St Patrick - - - 6 - 7,622 na na
WOMEN COUNCILLORS (2016/17):
St David - - - 9 1 6,043 na na 35.0%
St Andrew - - - 9 - 9,471 na na LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
Total 1 1 1 38 1 71,293 73,925 32.8 as a percentage of total government
expenditure 2013/14:
Source: MSSCDGA communication with CLGF and 2011 Census12.3a 0.9%

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 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN Dominica COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18

Table 13.1b Women councillors and mayors elections 2011/12-2016/17 and five nominated members. The
chairperson also assumes the title of mayor.
Election 2011/12 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17

Councillors # % # % # % # % 3.3.3 Canefield Urban Council has eight

members: five elected by the residents
Total female councillors and three nominated by the minister
Female councillors na ~40 14 35.0 46 42.2 28 35.0
with responsibility for local government.
Members serve for a period of three years.
Male councillors na na 26 65.0 63 57.9 52 65.0 The council is empowered to pass by-
laws similar in scope to those of Roseau
Total councillors na 100 40 100.0 109 100.0 80 100.0 and Portsmouth councils for the good
government and improvement of the area.
Town councillors

Female town councillors na ~30 na na na na na na 3.3.4 Village councils also have eight
members: five elected and three
Male town councillors na na na na na na na na nominated. Each council is elected for
Total town councillors na 100 na 100 na 100 na 100
a term of three years and is authorised
to make by-laws to govern affairs in its
Urban councillors village district. The ability to enforce
many of these by-laws is affected,
Female urban councillors na ~43 na na na na na na however (as for other councils), by the
centralisation of many services.
Male urban councillors na na na na na na na na

Total urban councillors na 100 na 100 na 100 na 100 3.3.5 The Carib Council governs the Carib
territory, an area in the island’s east set
Village councillors aside for the indigenous Carib people,
with a population of around 2,500. In
Female village councillors na ~43 na na na na na na
most respects the Carib Council has
Male village councillors na na na na na na na na powers similar to those of Roseau and
Portsmouth councils. However, except
Total village councillors na 100 na 100 na 100 na 100 in cases where insufficient persons are
elected, no provisions are made for
Carib councillors
nominated members on the council.
Female Carib councillors na ~14 na na na na na na Additionally, the Carib Council functions
as the official representative of the Carib
Male Carib councillors na na na na na na na na people and its members serve for five
years. The day-to-day affairs of the territory
Total Carib councillors na 100 na 100 na 100 na 100
have become part of its responsibility, as
Chairpersons well as the administration of the unique
Carib communal land system.
Female mayors/chairpersons na na na na 13 30.2 15 34.9
4. ELECTIONS
Male mayors/chairpersons na na na na 30 69.8 28 65.1
4.1 Recent local elections
Total mayors/chairpersons na 100 na 100.0 43 100.0 43 100.0 Council elections take place on a rolling
basis, with each council election occurring
Source: MSSCDGA correspondence with CLGF
separately. Of the 19 village council
3. STRUCTURE OF latter are the elections held between 2014 and August
LOCAL GOVERNMENT smallest unit of local government, with 2017 and whose results are available
3.1 Local government within the state 38 across the country. on the election commission’s website,
Local government is uniform and there turnout averaged 18.0%13.4a, ranging from
are seven districts containing a network 3.3.1 Roseau City Council representatives 44.6% in the Coulibistrie/Morne Rachette
of town, village and urban councils. are elected for a term of three years. village election to 7.25% in the Trafalgar/
There is a membership of 13: five Shawford/Fond village election. This is
3.2 Ministerial oversight nominated members and eight down from an average turnout of 20% for
members directly elected by residents. the 23 council elections which were held
The Ministry of Social Services,
The council’s chairperson is designated in 22 villages and one town in 2011/12.
Community Development and Gender
mayor. The council is empowered to
Affairs13..3b (MSSCDGA) is responsible
regulate activities in the town by making 4.2 Voting system
for overseeing any local government
by-laws and enforcing them within the Elections to city, town, urban and village
legislation. A handbook on the roles
municipal area. Although the council has councils are held every three years. The
and responsibilities of local government
increased in size and the municipality Carib Council is elected every five years.
practitioners is currently being developed.
has expanded, its functions have been Each urban and village council has five
reduced by the establishment of national elected members and three non-elected
3.3 Council types government utility statutory bodies. As a members, the latter appointed by the
There are five council types: a city council result, many of the services once provided minister with responsibility for local
for the capital Roseau, a town council by the council are now mandated to government from nominations put
for the second largest urban centre national specialised agencies. forward by the elected members.
Portsmouth, an urban council for the
third largest conurbation Canefield, the 3.3.2 Portsmouth Town Council also 4.3 Elected representatives
Carib Council which covers the Carib operates with a three-year term of office Leaders of urban and village councils
territory, and village councils. These and has a membership of 13: eight elected are called chairpersons. Leaders of the

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 COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN Dominica

two towns, Roseau and Portsmouth, are Table 13.2a Aggregate income and expenditure for local government 2014/15
called mayors. The serving members
Income XC$ (m) Expenditure XC$ (m)
of the council elect mayors and
chairpersons indirectly. In the case of the Transfers Administration
Carib Council, the people elect a chief
who becomes the chairperson of the Centre–local transfers 1.6 Staff 0.9
Carib Council, serving a five-year term.
International 0.5 Elected representatives 0.9
Village councils, which cover a relatively
small population and have limited TOTAL INCOME Services
powers, make all decisions through
the whole council and have no sub- Locally raised revenue Road maintenance 2.5
committee system.
Local property tax 0.5 Social security 0.2
4.4 Women’s representation
TOTAL INCOME 2.6 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 4.5
In 2016/17, female councillors were
35.0% of total councillors (28/80) across Source: MSSCDGA communication with CLGF
both urban and rural councils, down
from 42.2% in 2015/16. The proportion of 6.2 Other associations of local government 9.3 Transfers
mayors/chairpersons who were female in The National Local Authorities’ Clerks’ The government’s contribution to local
2016/17 was 34.9% (15/43), up from 30.2% Association was inaugurated in 2003. government spending comes in the
(13/43) in 2015/16. In 2011/12, women made This body represents the interests of form of a revenue-matching grant
up 30% of councillors in town councils, clerks. See Section 9.5 for details of and a standard grant, including grants
43% in village councils, 37% in urban clerks’ roles. for specific activities such as road
councils and 14% in the Carib Council. maintenance, office running costs, the
remuneration of councillors and funding
7. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
for housing and other community-based
5. SYSTEMS FOR The local government commissioner is infrastructure development projects.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT invited to attend meetings of DALCA. Negotiations are ongoing between
5.1 Legal requirement Individual authorities, district associations DALCA and the ministry with regards
and DALCA all make delegations to to payment of outstanding matching
Councils are mandated to meet with
MSSCDGA to discuss and lobby on grants to councils. These negotiations are
residents and form committees.
particular issues. The local government proving fruitful and gradual payments
commissioner is responsible for the are being made.
5.2 Implementation promotion of intergovernmental relations.
Councils consult residents each quarter
on plans and programmes, and monthly 9.4 Loans
8. MONITORING SYSTEMS
council meetings are also open to Local government organisations are
Councils are audited by the district not able to take loans from the market.
residents. Several national initiatives
development officer and the National Audit However, the three municipal councils
requiring community involvement
Department. Citizens also have redress to are permitted to operate an overdraft
are held, such as National Clean-Up,
the Minister for Social Services, Community facility at the indigenous bank (National
overseen by the Ministry of Health.
Development and Gender Affairs or direct Bank of Dominica).
to the local government.
5.3 ICT use in citizen engagement
No information available. 9. FINANCE, STAFFING AND RESOURCES 9.5 Local authority staff
9.1 Local government expenditure The Public Service Commission recruits
The proportion of local government local government staff centrally. It also
6. ORGANISED LOCAL GOVERNMENT
expenditure in total government has powers to discipline and dismiss
6.1 National local government staff. Occasionally national government
association expenditure in 2013/14 was 0.9%,
down from 1.6% of total government staff are seconded to local authorities;
The Dominica Association of Local usually these are specialist staff. Each
expenditure in 2011/12. In certain
Community Authorities13.6 (DALCA) authority must have a village clerk; in the
circumstances town and urban councils
represents local government in case of Roseau a city clerk. This person
may set deficit budgets.
Dominica. All authorities and district is the head of the paid service. Most
associations are members, though councils are quite small and usually have
membership is voluntary. Some of 9.2 Locally raised revenue only two members of staff. Roseau, in
the seven districts have their own Councils are empowered to levy house addition to the city clerk, has a finance
organisations, called district council and land taxes and borrow a limited director and four wardens who are
associations, to bring together local amount of money. Other sources of responsible for the four wards in the city.
authorities in their area. revenue include special projects and
fundraising through events.

Table 13.2b Local government expenditure as a percentage of total government expenditure 2014–17
2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
estimated XC$m estimated XC$m budgeted XC$m

Total government expenditure 513.6 na na

Total local government expenditure 4.5 na na

Local government expenditure as a percentage of total government expenditure 0.9% na na

Source: Compiled by CLGF from communication from MSSCDGA and the national budget statement 2014–1513.9

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 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN Dominica COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18

10. DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICE 10.3 The role of local government 13.4b Calculated by CLGF from data
DELIVERY RESPONSIBILITY in achieving the UN Sustainable from Electoral Office of Dominica
10.1 Overview of local government Development Goals (SDGs) on village councils’ elections
service delivery responsibility The government is vigorously pursuing http://electoraloffice.gov.dm/
All local authorities are charged strategies to promote the SDGs. village-council-elections
with the good governance of their This effort is spearheaded by the Ministry 13.5 No reference for this section
communities. The main service for of Finance and Planning. From a local 13.6 Dominica Association of Local
which local government is responsible, government standpoint, DALCA is Community Authorities
and which constitutes the major part currently pursuing a pilot project funded www.calga.org/dalca
of local government spending, is road by the EU through the Commonwealth 13.7 No reference for this section
maintenance. However, councils also Local Government Forum. DALCA, in 13.8 No reference for this section
have some responsibilities for parks collaboration with the LG division of
13.9 Based on figures provided by
and open spaces, sports and leisure, MSSCDGA is piloting localising the SDGs
MSSCDGA for Table 2 and total
and cemeteries and crematoria. in selected councils.
expenditure of XC$513.6m
The main role for local authorities at
as drawn from the national
present is an enabling one, acting as
government budget 2014/15 http://
a champion of local causes for their REFERENCES AND USEFUL WEBSITES
finance.gov.dm/phocadownload/
areas. However, there is pressure to 13.1a Government of Dominica budget_addresses/budget_
expand their functions to give them www.dominica.gov.dm address_2014_2015.pdf
a greater role in service delivery. The 13.1b Women in national parliaments. 13.10 No reference for this section
urban councils’ tasks include, for Inter-Parliamentary Union
example: contributing to educational 13.11a UN statistics surface area http://
www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm
and charitable ventures; acquiring land unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/
13.2 Constitution of Dominica products/dyb/dyb2006/Table03.pdf
or buildings for public use; establishing www.dominica.gov.dm/laws/
and regulating markets; altering or 13.11b Commonwealth Local
chapters/chap1-01.pdf
extending waterworks; and providing Government knowledge hub
13.3a 2011 Census www.dominica.gov.dm/ www.clgf.org.uk/resource-centre/
and maintaining parks, gardens and
cms/files/2011_census_report.pdf knowledge-hub
other places of recreation.
13.3b Ministry of Social Services, 13.11c UNDP HDR Dominica country
Community Development and profile http://hdr.undp.org/en/
10.2 ICT use in service delivery
Gender Affairs http://socialservices. countries/profiles/DMA
No information available. gov.dm/index.php
13.4a Electoral office
http://electoraloffice.gov.dm

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 COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN Dominica

Annex 13a Summary of service provision in different spheres of government in Dominica

Delivering authority

Services National government Urban councils Village councils Carib Council Remarks
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
Police n
Fire protection n
Civil protection n
Criminal justice n
Civil status register n
Statistical office n
Electoral register n n n n
EDUCATION
Pre-school (kindergarten and nursery)
Primary n n n n
Secondary n
Vocational and technical n n n n
Higher education n
Adult education n n n n
SOCIAL WELFARE
Family welfare services n n n n
Welfare homes n n n n
Social security n
PUBLIC HEALTH
Primary care n n n n
Hospitals n
Health protection n
HOUSING AND TOWN PLANNING
Housing n n n n
Town planning n n n n
Regional planning n n n n
TRANSPORT
Roads n n n n
Transport n n n n
Urban roads n n n n
Urban rail
Ports n
Airports n
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC
SANITATION
Water and sanitation n n n n
Refuse collection and disposal n n n n
Cemeteries and crematoria n n n n
Slaughterhouses n n n n
Environmental protection n
Consumer protection n
CULTURE, LEISURE AND SPORTS
Theatres and concerts n n n
Museums and libraries n
Parks and open spaces n n n n
Sports and leisure facilities n n n n
Religious facilities
UTILITIES
Gas services n
District heating
Water supply n
Electricity n
ECONOMIC
Agriculture, forests and fisheries n
Local economic development/promotion n
Trade and industry n
Tourism n n n n

n sole responsibility service n joint responsibility service n discretionary service

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