When it comes to a budget, Harbour Grace is spending a lot of time
The town still hasn’t passed its financial plan for 2021
We’re almost a third of the way through 2021 and the Town of Harbour Grace still doesn’t have a budget, leaving the present council without a financial roadmap as it finishes its four-year mandate.
An April 19 meeting saw a 3-3 deadlock on a vote to accept a version of the budget that was first prepared in February; it will be another two weeks until the town can try to pass it again.
“It is very concerning because this could affect what our plans are,” said Coun. Kathy Tetford, who had a hand in preparing the original budget.
That document was passed in mid-january and was sent to the Department of Municipal Affairs for approval; according to a spokesperson with the department, it was received on Jan. 20.
After being reviewed, department officials returned it with adjustments to be included in a revised document. However, as of Thursday, that revision had not been sent to municipal affairs.
Items for inclusion included the budgeting of money to help run the municipal election this fall and funding for the town’s fire department.
The town made those adjustments and balanced the budget a second time.
That led to another planned vote in February. However, a
motion was made by Mayor Don Coombs to have a consultant look at the budget. That motion passed 4-3.
Coombs felt a consultant was needed because the town had an operating deficit of over $300,000 heading into the 2020 budget season and he was concerned it could be even higher this year.
“The citizens and the new councillors coming in (after the upcoming election) deserve to know (about the town’s finances),” said Coombs. “Something has to be put in place with a plan.”
When the consultant’s report came back, revenue generated by the impending sale of the old S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium had been added.
However, before a vote could be taken on the latest numbers, Tetford motioned to vote on the adoption of the budget with the department’s original adjustments.
That vote ended in a 3-3 tie as the seventh councillor, Paul Fitzgerald, missed the meeting.
The delay has Terry Barnes concerned about the state of the town.
As a former Harbour Grace mayor, Barnes says he knows the importance of having a balanced budget not only to ensure the town is being run efficiently, but also when it comes to securing provincial funding,
Barnes said it is unfortunate that the process has stretched this far.
“The town needs a budget,” he said, noting without one, the town will be unable to access provincial capital works money.
However, Coombs called the delays necessary due diligence and a crucial step for the town to take before signing off on any budget.
“I just want it done right,” he said.
The next council meeting in Harbour Grace is scheduled for May 10.
The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia has reached levels not seen since the first wave of the pandemic last spring.
There are now 150 active cases in the province after 44 new cases were reported Friday. The more aggressive variants of the coronavirus that cause COVID-19 are also on the rise, with seven additional cases of the U.K. variant.
There have been 73 cases of the U.K. variant, 12 cases of the South African variant and one case of the Brazilian variant identified in Nova Scotia.
The last time active cases topped 150 was May 10, 2020, when there were 180 cases.
The province has put all of Halifax Regional Municipality and some border communities on lockdown until May 20 with restrictions on gatherings, travel in and out of the region, the closure of restaurants except for pickup orders, and other measures.
There is no sign of community spread in other health zones, a news release said Friday
The new cases Friday included one in a central zone nursing home. and in two more schools. There are now 15 schools in Nova Scotia with active cases.
The province is no longer releasing the category of exposures because of the increased number of investigations, the Health Department said. Previously, the new cases were broken down by travel, close contacts, relation to previous cases or unknown.
“With the new restrictions taking effect today, we are asking Nova Scotians to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Premier Iain Rankin in the release. “We’ve done this before and we can do it again. We all have a responsibility to follow the public health measures that help to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe.”