The NSEF’s Charles Sampson has replied to former councillor, Vince Hall. We have posted both letters below, in order of appearance, for you to review.

We would like to know your thoughts.

CHANGE NEGOTIATION TACTICS WITH PROVINCE, SAYS FORMER COUNCILLOR

8 Sep 2023

Re: “CBRM awaits timely financial resolution with province," Aug. 29.

I am writing in response to Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda McDougall's statements in the above article.

In this interview, McDougall says that the CBRM is trying to make sure that the challenges and opportunities for CBRM are clearly articulated during provincial consultations on a new MOU (memorandum of understanding) for Nova Scotia municipalities.

The problem is that McDougall failed to mention that she is banking on CBRM benefiting financially from the representation of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (NSFM) board based in Halifax. She supports the existing political structure which has the NSFM as the lead negotiator on behalf of all 48 municipalities in the province.

Now here’s my question to readers.

Does anyone believe that representatives of the Halifax Regional Municipality and the other 46 municipalities in Nova Scotia will agree to CBRM receiving one percentage point or one over our share?

Of course not as they all know that they would have to explain why they agreed to take less dollars so more can be sent to CBRM.

McDougall is naive to think that CBRM's interests can be fully represented by municipal board members from HRM and the other 46 municipal units. It hasn't happened once in nearly 30 years and it's not going to happen now.

So what should the mayor do? Well, how resigning from the NSFM board and breaking CBRM away from it. In this way McDougall could save a lot of cash in dues and expenses and then negotiate one on one with Premier Tim Houston.

She is wrong to sit back and watch this process unfold while CBRM continue to lose badly.

Vince Hall
Sydney
(Former CBRM councillor)

Here is Charles Sampson’s response:
LETTER MISSES OPPORTUNITY TO CRITICIZE GOVERNMENT

22 Sep 2023

Re: ‘Change negotiations tactics with province, says former councillor,’ Cape Breton Post letter to the editor, Sept. 8.

Regarding the above letter, former Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) councillor Vince Hall missed an excellent opportunity in my opinion to criticize the provincial government’s obvious manipulation of one municipally related category. That’s the category of the federal equalization formula which yearly funds the municipal deficiency in our tax capacity to be able to comply with the condition enshrined in section 36 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

With respect Mr. Hall, it is not up to the Halifax Regional Municipality or to any of the remaining municipalities to decide what the CBRM is to receive from these federal equalization payments. The constitution states clearly the condition enshrined and there is no further legal authority for the HRM or anyone else to “agree to take less dollars so more can be sent to the CBRM.”

What is federally transferred yearly by this formula specifies the five tax capacity deficiencies that generated this year $2.803 billion. In the municipal tax capacity deficiency related to property taxes and miscellaneous revenues this year the provincial government received approximately $600 million. The capped provincial equalization grant of $30 million fails to address what is being federally funded. Why?

Mr. Hall is correct to tell CBRM Mayor Amanda McDougall that “She is wrong to sit back and watch this process unfold while the CBRM continues to lose badly.”

Charles W. Sampson
Sydney Forks