9 mayoral candidates in CBRM say high property taxes, housing key issues

Nine candidates are running to be the next mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and housing and high property taxes are common issues they say they'd make a priority.

But all say it's time for change, even the ones who are either in office or have been elected before, or previously sought office.

"Going forward, we need ideas, but also be focused on what people are looking at and that is affordability, making sure the basic services are provided and also someone who can go to work day one," said former mayor Cecil Clarke, 56.

His two-time rival, retired New Dawn Enterprises CEO Rankin MacSween, said CBRM needs action.

"While the community is moving ahead, in some respects the municipality seems to be stuck," said MacSween, 73. "It can't get moving. Things just go around and around."

Mayor Amanda McDougall defeated Clarke in 2020 after he changed his mind and decided to run again, but she is not reoffering.

James Edwards, who has stepped aside as deputy mayor to take a run at the top elected seat, said change is needed.

"I'm a guy who has the leadership skills to bring a team together to work together as a community to make things happen," said the 66-year-old.

Cape Breton University political scientist Tom Urbaniak said early in the campaign period, Clarke, MacSween and Edwards are likely the front-runners, because they have the name recognition, resources and volunteers to get the vote out.

The other candidates "may be running just to cause a disruption" and may distract voters' attention, Urbaniak said, but another contender could emerge as campaigns progress.

Carla George, a 54-year-old construction worker and project manager, said property taxes are too high and CBRM needs "fresh ideas" to make life affordable for taxpayers.

She suggested federal technology grants could provide innovative solutions to cover high-cost services, such as garbage disposal.

"So it's things we're not even paying for with solutions that are going to really help our citizens and save us money and then, maybe once we get some of that money in the coffers, we can start reducing property taxes," George said.

Software developer Joe Ward, 47, said lowering property taxes would help with housing, because development is being slowed by high tax rates.

He said going after more equalization funding from the province would bring down taxes, but that's not the only solution.

"There's more than enough money, even without having an equalization conversation," Ward said.

"We can just look at provincial surpluses and know that if you just took a chunk of that surplus the province has, you deliver it to the CBRM and apply it to offset taxes, that we can already bring our tax rates on par with the HRM."

Ward said he is not running a conventional campaign, with lawn signs or door knocking, because this election is about old-school thinking versus new ideas.

"If old-school-and-political had worked, then we wouldn't be talking about the same problems today as we've been talking through the last three, four, five municipal elections."

Archie MacKinnon, a 63-year-old carpenter who ran for mayor in 2020, said the province has to give CBRM more equalization funding.

He said if he's elected and unsuccessful in convincing the government, he'll push for a plebiscite on Cape Breton independence from Nova Scotia.

"If the province doesn't have anything to offer us, well we might be better off going it alone anyway, because we've got nothing to lose," MacKinnon said.

"We're not getting nothing from them. All they're doing is taking."

Tow truck company operator Kevin MacEachern, 60, also ran last time and said equalization funding is an issue.

He said he'd replace the police with RCMP and he wants the homeless shelter and Ally Centre drug harm reduction facility moved out of downtown Sydney.

"I want CBRM cleaned up. It's disgusting right now," MacEachern said.

"Don't get me wrong, we do need these facilities opened. Not in our downtown core. They have to be moved."

Vince Hall, a 55-year-old social worker who sat as a councillor about 15 years ago, said CBRM needs to be more open and transparent.

During his term, the controversial councillor was found to have used municipal expenses to further his career and led informal meetings of councillors behind closed doors.

Hall insists he has changed and that the so-called "cup-of-tea" meetings were simply social gatherings that did not include any council agenda items or votes.

He said if elected, he'd immediately call for an internal audit to improve financial accountability for taxpayers.

"I know that these books are going to be a mess, but I want people to know exactly how bad things are in the municipality financially," Hall said.

Semi-retired businessman Donnie Bacich, a financial consultant best known for owning the Fuzzy's Fries chip truck in Sydney, is taking a second run at the mayor's chair.

He said he's running to get CBRM's finances and tax rates under control.

Bacich, 79, said unlike some others, he is not running to get a job.

He said he has healthy investments and taking the mayor's salary would put him into a 53-per-cent tax bracket.

"It's not for the paycheque, but it's to change things that have never been addressed since amalgamation."

Bacich said he wants to see increased equalization funding and would seek ways to cut taxes.

CBC is hosting a mayoral debate at Centre 200 arena in Sydney on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. (NOTE: Original start time was 7 p.m., but an earlier start is needed due to the number of candidates).

It will be livestreamed and will be moderated by Information Morning Cape Breton host Steve Sutherland.

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