2010 grade: D-
2009 grade: D
Dalrymple is angry: just ask him. By his way of thinking, everything HRM does is purposely designed to screw over the people of Fall River—every recreation plan, every extension of a water line, every road paving contract is, in Dalrymple’s mind, unjustly penalizing the residents of his district, and proves that those pointy head bureaucrats in City Hall have it out for rural residents.
Boo-effing-hoo. To be sure, Fall River still suffers from a heavy reliance on special tax districts by the former County of Halifax, but an objective look shows that amalgamation was the best thing that ever happened for rural HRM. Fire service is 1,000 times better, cops are well-funded, rational planning and governance has replaced the petty and vindictive small-town politics of the old county.
That’s not to say the elected reps for rural areas shouldn’t fight for every cent they can get, and even though Dalrymple’s disagreeable put-upon disposition is annoying, he makes his point, and that’s the only thing keeping him from an F grade. But rather than embracing destructive policies like “tax reform,” which would’ve hurt the poorest of the residents in his district, if he’s to have any success at all, Dalrymple needs to learn to cooperate with the HRM machine he hates.
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City council report card 2011
This article appears in Jun 3-9, 2010.
You spelled “Dalrymple” wrong in the title. Geez. That’s the worst place to make a typo.
Thanks– fixed. Writer, editor and two copyeditors…. and still things slip through, sigh.
As a resident of Fall River I support Barry being angry. We are taxed to the max for minimal services. I don’t have water, sewer, or sidewalks in my subdivision. He inherited a new Rec centre/ fire dept that the previous councilor plowed thru without thought or sense (wouldn’t water be nice to have at a Fire Station?). Did I mention that we don’t have public transit. One bus a week is a joke, give him an absolutely useless MLA to deal with who has done nothing for his riding and a “nice guy” MP with the same billing and I think Barry deserves more kudos. Keep angry Barry you are doing what needs to be done, squeaky wheels get greased once in a while.
Why is the Fall River area paying 6.3 cents per 100 of accessment for a fire hall and rec center used by all when other rec centers and fire halls have no capital cost to the residential tax payer? Look at all of them and this new Liabrary to replace one. It has to be the show piece of HRM to put Halifax on the map. Well then the area it is in should pay for it not the area it is not in. If its good enough for Dist #2 to pay area rate for capital cost and you wish these facilities in your district then that district should also pay thats what the tax stucture says. Why is it not followed? On the sewage… HRM has Halifax Water collecting Captial cost listed @ 62% of our sewage bill for the Halifax Engineered to fail sewage system. In Fall River we paid our capital cost for our sewage system as a one time fee. Halifax is down loading theirs as a user fee and having us pay it too?? Makes you wanta pee in City Hall just to get your money’s worth.. At least we get to send a Councilor there to pee for us. Take you time in there Barry and use lots of that toilet paper and paper towel.