Borden-Carleton talking expansion
Town initiating process to expand boundary
The Town of Borden-Carleton is testing the waters of expansion. Council voted 3-2 during a special meeting on Aug. 15 to start the process of expanding its borders to include surrounding communities.
A letter and information package was delivered to homes in the area earlier this month. The town is proposing to bring the Borden-Carleton Fire District, plus an additional section of Albany not in the district, into the town’s boundaries. If approved, the move would increase the town’s population from 724 to about 1,500. Mayor Dean Sexton stressed that, at this point, the town is only trying to start a conversation with neighbours.
“It may never materialize; we’re just at the discussion stage,” said Sexton. Municipal amalgamation and annexation is a hot button issue, he acknowledged, but a majority of council decided this was a direction the town should at least start to move in.
The letter sent to residents addresses some reasons why the town decided to make this move, including access to more provincial and federal funding, better land-use planning and the town’s historic position as an economic, service and recreational hub.
It also expresses concern that new businesses may continue to set up just outside the current town’s boundary, which increases use of municipal services without supporting them through property taxes.
The letter also goes into some detail regarding proposed property tax rates, stating that no one would be taxed until they have representation on a new council to be elected in 2018 and rates would vary depending on what services an area receives.
The full information package can be viewed on the town’s website at www.bordencarleton.ca.
The province has stated it wants to see the number of municipalities reduced from the current73. But it has so far refused to force the issue, preferring to encourage municipalities to at least start the daunting task on their own, while it provides resources to continue the process. There had been preliminary talks a few years ago regarding a potential amalgamation of all of electoral District 19, which takes in Borden-Carleton, Kinkora and Bedeque and Area, however, no official proposal was ever made official. Around that time, Bedeque and Area did put forward an application to annex a large section of unincorporated land in its surrounding areas, but ultimately abandoned the idea when the province indicated its proposed new population of about 2,500 wasn’t big enough. Sexton said council is aware of Bedeque and Area’s attempt and, ultimately, remains open to some day talking about merging the electoral district. But they see their current proposal as an initial necessary step. “The province wants us to go the whole District 19 – we feel that’s too big,” said Sexton. The town will now approach the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission with its proposal, which will then call public meetings on the subject. The commission would then provide a report to Communities Minister Robert Mitchell’s office for a final decision.