Antigonish Town and County community sessions on the proposed consolidation of the two municipal bodies are almost wrapped up and Antigonish Mayor Laurie Boucher said a lot of questions they received from the public are similar to questions the councils had when they
Antigonish Mayor Laurie Boucher
first looked at the process.
The majority of questions councillors heard deal with boundaries, taxes, and representation. Boucher said the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has final say on the boundaries, and also noted past consolidations and amalgamations show tax rates does not lead to tax hikes. As for representation, Boucher said they are currently looking at an even split of councillors representing the town/town fringe area and the rest of Antigonish County, noting a significant of the county’s population resides in the fringe area.
The town and county hosted community sessions will continue both online and in-person until May 18. When the sessions are over, Boucher said, both councils will receive and go over a final report, with councils making up their mind from there.
When contacted via email regarding the consolidation process, a representative from the Department of Municipal Affairs stated the decision to consider consolidation rests with elected councils. The department understands that the County and Town of Antigonish will be consult with residents and then making a decision as to whether they wish to consolidate. If they choose to move forward, they will pass a motion requesting that legislation be introduced.