2011 New Cambria local government reform

The 2011 New Cambria local government reform is a controversial series fundamental changes to the way local government bodies operate in New Cambria. Original legislation precipitating the reform was passed in 2009 and 2010, with the most significant acts receiving the approval of the Assembly of Deputies of New Cambria on 25 March 2011.

Background
Prior to the reform, New Cambria was divided into nine counties, and 65 municipalities. Each county had an elected County Council, made up of representatives from each municipality in the county. The County Councils had power over waste management, primary and secondary education, libraries, social services, transport, strategic planning and consumer protection. Below the County Councils were the individual Municipal Councils. The Municipal Councils were also elected, either at-large or from subdivided districts within each municipality. The Municipal Councils had more limited powers, including housing, waste collection, tax collection, licensing and cemeteries. New Cambria's four largest municipalities at the time (Arvant, Averytown, Talbot and Southport) had special status as "Home Rule Municipalities," which entitled their Municipal Councils to take on county-level tasks. The average population for a municipality in New Cambria was approximately 43,000, though a wide difference existed between the largest (Arvant, 366,000) and the smallest (Jeđeves, 1,021) municipalities.

During the 2009 election, both the incumbent government, led by the Independence Party of New Cambria, as well as the opposition, led by the Social Democratic Party of New Cambria, included local government reform as part of their election campaign platforms. The Independence Party favored doing away with all Municipal Councils (save the four "Home Rule" councils) and delegating all services to the County Councils. The Social Democratic Party put forth a sweeping consolidation proposal, reducing the number of municipalities in the country from 65 to approximately 20. When the Social Democratic Party won the 2009 election and was the senior member in the incoming Executive Council, plans to carry out this consolidation proposal were already underway.

The passage of the ''Local Government (Consolidation) Act, 2010, reduced the size of both the Municipal and County Councils' memberships significantly. On 25 March 2011, the legislation enacting the most important changes was passed by the Assembly, with a vote of 56 in favor and 44 against.