The City of Charlottetown would like to see unsightly properties cleaned up more quickly, but it needs the province to change legislation, and one councillor is tired of waiting.

'The province is holding us back.'— Coun. Mitch Tweel

Coun. Mitch Tweel told CBC News Tuesday he and other city politicians get calls all the time from residents upset about messy properties. Sometimes the grass is too long, or piles of garbage are left in front of abandoned buildings.

Tweel said it can take up to six weeks before the city can step in to do a clean-up, because the bylaw enforcement officer has to go to city council before he can act.

"To me it's tedious, it's unnecessary, it's counter-productive, and it's frustrating," he said.

Council would like to eliminate the red tape but it can't. The provincial Department of Municipal Affairs would have to change the Charlottetown and Area Municipalities Act. Minister Wes Sheridan said a review of the entire act is underway but changes won't come for another year and a half.

"We're trying to revamp this entire act, and I don't think we want to pull it apart piece by piece," said Sheridan.

"We have full co-operation from all the municipalities at this time to make sure that we do get it right."

Tweel calls the delay inexcusable. He said provincial cabinet could make the changes he's looking for with the stroke of a pen.

"Local government is the closest government to the people. We're responsible for the neighbourhoods," he said.

"The province is holding us back. And they have held us back the last 10 to 15 years."

Tweel said it's time for the province to stop reviewing things and actually start making changes.