New Glasgow, Pictou vote to continue with amalgamation application

Two towns have voted to continue with an amalgamation application that is before the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

New Glasgow council and Pictou council both decided not to withdraw at meetings Monday night.

Mayor Barrie MacMillan said in a release that it is a symbolic gesture as both the Municipality of the County of Pictou and the Town of Stellarton have voted to withdraw.

“The council has respected the voters wishes by continuing to seek amalgamation. The votes have been counted and it is clear that the residents of the Town of New Glasgow seek to address the significant governance issues in our larger community. We remain willing to work with anyone who wants to move towards structural reform. The citizens of New Glasgow realize that six municipal governments with a population of only 45,000 people is unsustainable and, frankly, a dysfunctional decision-making structure,” MacMillan said.

Coun. Jack Lewis, a member of the MOU steering committee, said without the support of the province or the other municipalities, they’ve taken it as far as they can. The motion to stay in the application was passed unanimously in New Glasgow, while Pictou voted 3-2.

Coun. Alta Munroe and Coun. Cam Beaton voted against, stating that they promised to vote with the results of the plebiscite.

“I was disappointed in the vote, but I promised I’d vote with the constituents,” said Beaton.

Pictou Mayor Joe Hawes said that there were two parts to the application – “an evidence and fact-based filing” to the UARB and the outcome to the plebiscite, noting that the UARB accepted their evidence and “determined it was in the best interests of the residents to amalgamate.”

“The outcome of the second part of the process was based more on emotion – a fear of increased taxes and loss of community identity.”

In a motion to council, Hawes noted that the application is conditional on the outcome of public consultation including a plebiscite. He went on to say he realized some on council consider the plebiscite results to be a major factor in making their decision, adding that he respects their point of view.

“I, on the other hand, see the vote as being one component to our final decision on public consultation.” He went on to say the structure of the application has been interpreted by two of the municipal units to mean they have to withdraw.

“In my mind, their decision to withdraw is a vote for the continuance of status quo,” he said, adding that the status quo doesn’t address unproductive competition for external infrastructure funding, a less attractive county to employers, a lack of a co-ordinated approach toward economic attraction and retention, and the community being increasingly fractured and incapable of collaborating on important regional initiatives.

He also acknowledged that the move could be viewed as a symbolic gesture.

“I believe, however, that it is incumbent upon us to file on public record our belief that structural reform of municipal government is still vitally important to our community, this region, and the province.”

What that means for the application is unknown at this time. New Glasgow CAO Lisa MacDonald said after New Glasgow’s meeting that council’s decision was based on respecting the residents’ wishes.

“Pictou made that decision tonight, so I guess we’d have to have a conversation with them ...”