Only in Nova Scotia would the “democratic” process lead to a town dissolving, before residents even know what state their town finances are in.
Those residents of Pictou, Stellarton, have no say in what happens going forward, such as reducing town services or employees and other options that exist – instead they are moving in the direction of amalgamation, which is an abject failure (financially, democratically) everywhere it has been implemented.
Amalgamation NEVER results in savings – fire services are the only city or town provided service that ends up working with economies of scale – everything else costs more – our province’s municipalities use of in-house monopoly services for everything, means no cost savings with other municipal services are possible.
Many cities and towns in the USA went through amalgamation in the 80s and 90s, and are now DE-amalgamating.
I’m afraid in Nova Scotia, there is no going back – what representative political process do the people have to go back with? Provincial elections? lol.
I hear the provincial municipal minister convinced them all a $300,000 study on amalgamation was a good way forward – The province doesn’t have municipalities’ best interests in mind – this is just a provincial power grab.
The Ivanny report, and the provincial Liberal rush to reduce democratic representation in this province is contemptuous to Nova Scotia’s stated democratic ideals.
Don’t let the province get away with it
—Amalgamate this
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2014.
I love small towns.
I’m from New Brunswick, and saw many of its residents move towards the larger centers, as small traditional employment centers (plants, mills, fisheries, etc.) plunged toward extinction.
I don’t know if amalgamation is the answer. I doubt it.
Nova Scotia is going through a transformation that might take years, or even decades, to resolve itself. We can’t keep holding on to a “traditional way of life” if there is no money anymore. I suspect that our communities will see change at the level of administration and infrastructure regardless of who is in power, and we will have to adapt, innovate, move on, etc.
I have no answers.
The residents of HRM and CBRM were never asked if they wanted amalgamation either. Welcome to our world.
If the tax base does not support the services then the services should be cut off. Works the same way with a household. How many parents involve their young children in these decisions?
sounds like ob is an NDP supporter…sounds like every other NDP supporter ive heard lol. for the record i dont support any party. But man those NDP like to bitch bitch bitch lol. If OB you have a tonne of experience then maybe you should go into politics and start the changes you believe should be occuring. my guess is, you wont get very far.
This is the domino effect, more small towns to follow, let’s get ahead of the curve and blow up the causeway and keep the parasitic Capers away from us.
Springhill has a population of 3,500, plus another 400 in the jail. Cops make over $70,000 basic and policing consumed over 40% of the budget.
The place has been a train wreck for a long time.
If McNeil wants change he should go the whole hog and just have counties and make Cape Breton one municipality.
I see this as a great step forward. I only wish now that more small towns will follow suit.
Interestingly enough the residents didn’t even elect said official. He is a warden not a mayor.
I live a couple of kilometres outside a small NS village. Which is exactly what I wanted. When I go into the village or further down the road to Enfield & I hear the people complaining about “being forced to pay for ‘New’ waterlines” when they have had wells & septic systems for years …. truly makes me question our freedom & our so called rights .
Why should someone arbitrarily be able to decide that all these new homes being built up the road, are too close together for wells & septic so they will put in systems to accommodate them, but because the water comes from the river & the pipes have to go by your long time established residence(s) …all of you along the route, are forced to join & forced to pay for it !??!
In this ever decreasing province, IMO what we need are more people taking care of themselves & less people having Government force them into paying for the needs to others.
If dissolving a town , means that the taxes go down … & to be expected ,a loss of services. Then if you don’t like it, move to the city.
More- Halifax water maintains their ditches and storm water runoff. And what were they billed? Thirty bucks, oh noes, thats a fortune.
This reminds me of that old man on the Arm and his raw waste going directly into a body of water. Its all THEIR fault. Grow up and pay up.
Pictou? Stellarton? Oh! Hickville!