Originally published by the Chronicle Herald:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/9008485.htmlBy AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
Thursday, September 18, 2008
One size doesn’t fit all, says Halifax mayoral candidate Sheila Fougere.
And it’s time to put a plebiscite question out to voters asking if they’d support breaking up the municipality
“I’m open to the idea, absolutely," she said Wednesday, noting that if she were elected mayor on Oct. 18, she’d support a plebiscite in 2010 so that changes could be made in time for the 2012 elections.
The councillor for Connaught- Quinpool since June 1998, Ms. Fougere has been out campaigning for mayor for the last few months.
And the municipal amalgamation of 1996, which brought together the former cities of Halifax and Dartmouth with the town of Bedford and Halifax County, is still on the minds of many people.
“I think we need a different model of governance because . . . even after all these years, people are saying it does not serve them well. “And we can’t just ignore that."
However, a plebiscite can’t simply be sprung on Haligonians, she says. People need more information before the choice is actually made because there are many implications.
It cost multimillions of dollars to create the amalgamated municipality and it won’t come apart for free, she says.
“If people are going to vote in a plebiscite, then they need that information so they know what the implications are," she says. “As mayor, I will make sure you are informed and well aware of all our options."
For example, there could be separate urban and rural councils, or a model similar to the current structure but with fewer councillors working within a caucus structure to address local issues, or a completely different model altogether.
“The most important thing to consider is information," she says.
However, “I don’t want people to think I want to study this to death before something is done. And the truth is, I think something needs to be done."
Mayor Peter Kelly says nothing needs to be done.
“It’s short-sighted and a negative direction that would cost millions of dollars and put municipal infrastructure resources at risk," the current mayor said Wednesday.
“I would have an issue with chopping up what we have."
The issue has not come up at all at the doors he’s been knocking on during the election campaign, he says.
“I don’t think taking the urban and rural divide is the way to go," he said.
“It would disenfranchise many and . . . bring further financial strain on the rural community."
He says it’s important to understand that most of the municipality’s resources — including compost operations, residual waste landfill and water operations — are in the rural areas.
“So our strategic resources and infrastructure are in the areas they’re contemplating to cut off. So we would be cutting off our nose to spite our face."
There are also issues surrounding staffing, pensions and unions.
“So it’s a negative discussion. “Why would we want to waste money where we don’t have money to waste, and why would we want to continually have this negative discussion when it doesn’t do anything positive for the municipality?"
Back in 2000, Mr. Kelly was the councillor for Bedford who ran his first successful campaign for mayor by promising to be “one voice for all of HRM."
That sentiment continues, he says.
“We’re a community of communities and it is one voice for all. Nobody is better, nobody is less, and together we’re stronger."
Ms. Fougere disputes that characterization.
“Despite claims of being a community of communities, HRM paints with a fairly broad brush across the entire municipality," she said.
“Our current model does not consider our diversity and doesn’t address the varying needs of urban, suburban and rural communities."
Her views are reflected in a new poll, conducted in August and released Wednesday, by Corporate Research Associates. The company has been tracking trends in municipal governance for more than two years.
As a result, its polling shows a definitive upswing for a different model of governance.
“Support for (de-amalgamation) is at an all-time high," CRA president Don Mills said of the 61 per cent figures returned in the survey. There are a number of factors which could contribute to the higher numbers this time around, he said. They include the increased scrutiny regional council has been under over the past six months (including an unpopular licensing cat issue, he points out), or even increased awareness because of the upcoming election.
Mayoral candidate David Boyd said he thought a lot about splitting up the municipality a few years ago.
However, his plan at that time was to divide the area into councils governing north, south, east and west precincts, instead of into urban and rural.
Today, he supports keeping the municipality whole.
“There’s no question that rural communities may have lost. But overall, I believe amalgamation is working and should stay the way it is, myself. You know, if it’s not broke, don’t try fixing it."