Member for West Tobago Joel Sampson said he was supporting the Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill 2026 because smaller municipalities can deliver services more effectively and make local authorities more accountable to residents
“Why make municipalities smaller? Why create more manageable local government areas? Because government generally works better when responsibility is brought closer to the people who rely upon it.”
Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Sampson argued that re-districting should be done intelligently, taking into account geography, culture, transportation networks and community relationships. He stressed that changing boundaries is not a threat to democracy if it helps improve governance.
“Look across the water. Look at Tobago. The Tobago House of Assembly has demonstrated for decades the value of bringing significant governmental responsibility closer to a defined population. Tobago has historically had access to a relatively small portion of overall national expenditure, yet look at the distribution of public infrastructure.”
Mr. Sampson said creating smaller, more manageable local government areas would allow representatives to respond more quickly, target resources more effectively and provide clearer accountability.