N.S. Federation of Municipalities backs new funding deal despite objections from Cape Breton

Some Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillors are upset with the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities over the group's support for a proposed new funding agreement with the provincial government.

CBRM opposes the proposed deal, saying some municipalities will get more provincial grants, but at the expense of CBRM.

During a council meeting on Tuesday, Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger said the federation should look after all of its members.

"We are really alone here, folks. We pay dues to that organization and in my opinion, they just put us to drift," he said.

Coun. Steve Gillespie said membership is voluntary and he is considering bringing a request to quit the group to a future council meeting.

"We may not be able to leave Nova Scotia, as an island or as CBRM, but we sure as hell can walk away from the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities," he said.

Under the proposed deal, formally called a service exchange agreement, the province is maintaining the total amount of money it provides municipalities for their operating costs, but is spreading it around to more municipalities.

CBRM has traditionally received $15 million a year under that program. The province plans to continue doing that for five years and then to cut CBRM's share to $13.6 million.

CBRM Mayor Amanda McDougall, who is past-president of the NSFM and sits on its board, said she is glad it is supporting members who will benefit from the deal, but added the federation needs to support CBRM, too.

"It is a good deal for some municipalities and I've been abundantly clear ... I want municipalities to thrive," she said in an interview after the council meeting.

"I get it. NSFM are definitely supporting the municipalities that will benefit from this. I'm deeply disappointed that the NSFM are not supporting the municipality who stands to lose the most, as well."

CBRM officials have said the province's proposed deal — and a letter the minister sent to all municipalities except CBRM — amounts to a divide-and-conquer strategy.

Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton is the NSFM's president. She said she couldn't comment on the letter from the minister.

She said she's not sure what the intent was and it's been 30 years since the province and municipalities negotiated a new service exchange agreement, so she had nothing to compare it to.

Chisholm-Beaton also said the NSFM supported CBRM's request for a separate deal with the province and is not sure why they're still unhappy.

"CBRM was asking the province specifically throughout the consultation period and asked NSFM specifically to advocate for a separate deal and we did do that for them," she said.

Chisholm-Beaton said as far as she knows, all of the organization's members except CBRM are in favour of the new agreement.

The NSFM president said she will speak in favour of the proposed deal before the law amendments committee when it comes up in the provincial legislature.

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