Dear member:

Rodney MacDonald recently raised the importance of reviewing the municipal governance structure for Halifax Regional Municipality. The Premier is recommending an official review of the municipal council structure to assess its efficiency and effectiveness in governing Nova Scotia’s largest metropolitan centre.

We say “It’s about time!”

Based on feedback from a series of community consultations with you last year, not to mention the ineffective performance of our current municipal structure, Citizens for Halifax strongly recommends the creation of two smaller municipal units…one rural and one urban.

When urban Halifax and its rural surroundings were amalgamated in 1996, residents were not given the opportunity to express their opinion, and the county was included in HRM to help address significant financial troubles at the time.

This awkward structure has led to a range of issues. Municipal council is bogged down by the wide-ranging issues of urban and rural regions. For urban Halifax, issues like taxes, crime and transportation are actually more critical than they seem, but they are diluted by rural concerns and issues. The issues of rural residents are likewise overlooked because of the needs of the downtown core.

Neither urban nor rural residents are well-served by the current system and it’s time for that to change.

We support a review of the current structure, and we believe it is a critical issue for the entire province. The success of our Nova Scotia’s largest metropolitan centre is directly linked to the success of the province. We cannot afford to sacrifice the success of Halifax because of a bulky, inefficient municipal government structure.

Citizens for Halifax is currently taking an active role in discussions about amalgamation issues and we need your help. With the upcoming provincial election, it’s time to make the success of Halifax a province-wide issue.

How can you make a difference?

• Ask provincial candidates about their plans to review the municipal government of the current HRM.
• Now is the time to write a letter to the editor - If you’ve got an opinion on the current government of HRM let it be heard
• Let your municipal council member or MLA know you want government to conduct a review - call or write them with your suggestions.

It’s not too late to improve our city and our province. We need to take a move forward with a new, more streamlined municipal government and now is the time to raise our opinions and take the first step.

Sincerely,

Citizens for Halifax Board