The idea of combining the 3 municipal governments in Yarmouth County is being resurrected.
Leland Anthony, Warden of the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth, says the topic has been discussed several times over his 25 years on Council.
He says it has always been dismissed but that “things change”.
“I do not want to rush…in any way, shape, nor form…into this. I believe it’s what’s going to happen within the province, I believe this is what’s going to happen within Canada. It is the way the federal government and the provincial government are looking at things.”
So far, any possible discussions are in the very early stages.
The Municipal Council unanimously backed the motion by Trevor Cunningham, including Councillor John Cunningham who says he has changed his opinion since the last time the councils discussed it.
“There was a time I was dead-set against a vote even considering consolidation but over the past three and a half years, my eyes have been opened. We waste a lot of time, the CAO’s time is wasted a lot, working on these inter-municipal agreements.”
Town of Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood says the current recommendation is just to have the initial discussions.
“There are a lot of questions; some times lots of positives, lots of concerns, all those pieces, and the only way that we can get the answers, see what it will look like and ask those questions, is sit at the table together with a facilitator from the province and find out what it will look like.”
The province has offered to supply the facilitator for the discussions.
Mayor Mood says they, and the citizens, have a lot of questions right now.
“We have to get those answers, find out what the concerns are, put everything on the table. In my opinion, I think folks understand that municipal lines are municipal lines; we’re doing so much together but the efficiancies just happen when we come together as one, but this is simply a fact-finding mission right now.”
Town Council also voted unanimously to join the discussions.
The last time the idea of combining the 3 municipalities was seriously discussed was 1993, although the topic has been raised of and on over the years since.
