CBRM surplus spending includes big-ticket items, infrastructure and anniversary parties

Cape Breton Regional Municipality ended its last fiscal year with a big surplus and council has decided to spend about two-thirds of it on some big-ticket items, infrastructure repairs and multiple celebrations of CBRM's 30th anniversary.

During a special meeting Tuesday, council was told the surplus as of March 31 was $4.1 million.

Councillors agreed to put $1.4 million into reserve accounts for the future and made plans to spend the rest on a wide range of items.

Mayor Cecil Clarke said putting $500,000 into the Cape Breton Exhibition building, another $500,000 into roads and sidewalks, $100,000 into each of three community rinks in Sydney Mines, Whitney Pier and Dominion and $100,000 for the Louisbourg Playhouse, will all help ease next year's budget.

"It'll help take the pressure off, because it's going to help with some of the backlog of things that we would have, as we say, with some buildings and some of the needed work," he said.

Council also used a portion of the surplus to fulfil a promise to Cape Breton University after its request earlier this year for a $400,000 contribution to CBU's capital building campaign.

CBRM is also allocating $332,000 for at least 10 community non-profits and $150,000 for a new command vehicle for Cape Breton Search and Rescue.

This year is the 30th anniversary since CBRM was created by amalgamating the former city of Sydney with several former towns and the County of Cape Breton.

Council has set aside $500,000 for celebrations that will include local events in each of the 12 districts, three "signature community events" in the North, Central and East divisions, $50,000 to recognize citizens and local organizations and $240,000 for a big New Year's Eve bash.

The 25th anniversary could not be celebrated publicly due to the pandemic, which Deputy Mayor Eldon MacDonald called "unfortunate."

"But for those who might not have been around, the previous one was probably one of the most remarkable events that I've gotten feedback from the community."

CBRM hosted a New Year's Eve event in 2015 that included a ferris wheel, toboggan slide and entertainment on the downtown waterfront.

"That 20th celebration was talked about for a long time," MacDonald said.

The surplus was a result of $3.1 million in federal-provincial disaster assistance following last winter's massive snowfall, plus extra revenues from last year's World Women's Curling event and unexpected wastewater fees.

Not all councillors were in favour of the full list of surplus spending, however.

Councillors Steve Parsons and Kim Sheppard-Campbell voted against the plan, saying they were not opposed to many of the items, but they objected to them all being lumped into one motion for one vote.

"I may not support all of the expenditures. There may be two or three that I have some questions about and to be honest with you, maybe two or three that I won't support," Parsons said.

"But if I have to vote in a block, the perception for my residents will be that I voted in favour of everything, when I'm not."

Both he and Sheppard-Campbell said they had concerns about giving $400,000 to Cape Breton University for its buildings.

Parsons said CBRM recently sent a letter to the province saying it was cash-strapped and couldn't afford to take down all of the derelict houses and commercial buildings in the area.

He said the contribution to CBU could have been spread over several years, freeing up some extra money for the backlog of derelict properties.

Sheppard-Campbell said she would rather see CBU spend the money on bursaries.

However, Coun. Gordon MacDonald said he had no problem with the contribution to CBU.

He said the university's huge influx of students had sparked economic development in CBRM and helping the university is "money well spent."

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