Garbage issues were front and centre at City Hall Tuesday, as Halifax council began dealing with a set of proposals put forward by CAO Richard Butts to fundamentally change how the landfill operates. In the 1990s, Halifax opened the Otter Lake Landfill. To maintain the highest environmental standards, the landfill included a front end processor, […]
Richard Butts
Posted inNews + Opinion
Lay-offs hit Halifax city hall
Last Thursday afternoon, city top bureaucrat Richard Butts abruptly announced a re-shuffling and downsizing of city staff, resulting in five middle managers immediately losing their jobs. Reportedly, the five were escorted out of their offices, lest they take home paper clips or trade secrets. The five laid off employees are: Andrew Whittemore, manager of community […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Deal with Harold MacKay makes city look bad, weakens bargaining position with TCL
I was wrong: contrary to my earlier supposition, the payment from Harold MacKay to the city just before the Metallica show was in fact related to the concert loan scandal, and not simply pre-payment for Metallica costs. Council Tuesday released this statement: 13.3 Contractual Matter – Concert Update That Halifax Regional Council approve the settlement […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
New gag order at City Hall
I was kicked out of a city meeting Tuesday. I had heard that Waye Mason was going to address the Stadium Committee, so I wanted to hear what he had to say, and what the committee members were thinking. In typical backwards fashion, the city is trying to wedge a business model into a stadium […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax council hires Richard Butts as new CAO
After a four-hour closed-door meeting, Halifax council Tuesday voted unanimously to hire Richard Butts as the city’s new chief administrative officer. Butts is presently a deputy city manager in Toronto. He will start work in Halifax City Hall March 28. Breaking with past practice of contracting for the job with former CAOs Dan English and […]