Halifax council has approved its first ever set of campaign finance rules, putting restrictions on who can donate and how much can be contributed to a municipal election. Donations from any corporation, union or organization are now illegal under the new bylaw, which was approved at Tuesday’s meeting. The limit for an individual to donate […]
Finance
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax auditor general blasts woeful procurement process at city hall
A year after discovering a half-million-dollar case of vendor fraud, HRM’s procurement policies remain dangerously unguarded. In a report presented Wednesday to the Audit and Finance committee, auditor general Evangeline Colman-Sadd says the municipality’s oversite of contracts and tenders needs “significant improvement.” Twenty percent of the 94 procurement files reviewed by the Office of the […]
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Customers of the state
We’re used to being thought of as customers—that the money we spend comes with certain entitlements, and that we should wield influence over those we spend it with. In the sense of expenditures on regular goods and services, this is largely true—justly or unjustly. Those of us who’ve worked in a service profession have no […]
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Glut of office space disastrous for Halifax Convention Centre financials
The Halifax Convention Centre just opened its doors and it’s already costing the city far more than initial estimates. New financial figures are projecting that a planned $1.8-million shortfall in the city’s HCC reserve fund has now nearly doubled to $3.5-million. Worse still, a projected $6-million surplus after 10 years of convention centre operations has […]
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HRM council salaries jump 2.3 percent to $87,409
Happy holidays to HRM councillors, who are taking home a 2.3 percent pay bump. It’s a slightly smaller raise than last year when salaries jumped by 3.4 percent. Back in May council approved a motion to tie its annual raises to average weekly earnings in Nova Scotia, as reported by Statistics Canada. Under the new formula, […]
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Halifax to wait-and-see on this whole basic income thing
A staff report on poverty reduction recommends Halifax hold off on endorsing a basic income pilot project from the province. The municipality’s Community Planning and Economic Standing Committee asked for the report back in July after a presentation from Basic Income Nova Scotia. At the time, the group had suggested some minor steps HRM could take […]
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Tax avoidance is legal and that should make you furious
Earlier this month the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released the Paradise Papers—a massive leak of documents that show just how pervasive legal tax avoidance through offshore banking has become. Some of those whose dealings in Bermuda have been questioned have defended themselves by explaining that their critics’ outrage is misplaced since sending money offshore […]
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Pain and no gain: HRM looks to write-off nearly $300,000 in gym fees
Changing banks was easier than cancelling a Sackville Sports Stadium gym membership, and that could end up costing HRM over a quarter of a million dollars. A report headed to Wednesday’s Audit and Finance committee is asking city council to write-off slightly over $295,000 in outstanding accounts from the Lower Sackville fitness centre. The lost […]
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A second opinion on tax reforms
Breaking from the dominant position of their colleagues, this week over 300 doctors across the country sent a letter to finance minister Bill Morneau voicing support for proposed tax changes that will eliminate several money-saving mechanisms used by many Canadian physicians. Monika Dutt, a family physician in Cape Breton, is one of the signatories. Dutt […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Can emissions shrink while the economy grows?
What does climate change have to do with economic growth? Canada’s prime minister and premiers signed a deal in December to “grow our economy, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and build resilience to the impacts of a changing climate.” The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change outlines plans for carbon pricing, energy-efficient building […]
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Hendsbee blames media for ruining his pension proposal
David Hendsbee won’t be getting any taxpayer money to top up his pension Regional council voted against the Preston—Chezzetcook—Eastern Shore representative’s motion asking for a staff report on whether the municipality could split the cost and help him buy back years on his pension. The request was met with public scorn over the weekend, to […]
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David Hendsbee wants HRM to cover his pension regrets
After 20 years of public service, councillor David Hendsbee has just now decided he wants in on the municipality’s pension plan. But he needs some help to pay for it. At the next meeting of Regional Council, Hendsbee will ask for a staff report on pension options for councillors past and present who “did not […]