As we continue to try to communicate with Premier Houston, Minister Lohr, the CBRM officials (Mayor, CAO and CFO) as well as the council members of the CBRM, we want to update you on our progress. We have heard back from Steve Gillespie, Stephen Parsons, Darren Bruckschwaiger and of course, Gordon MacDonald. We have not heard back from Mayor MacDougall, Marie Walsh, Jennifer Campbell, Premier Houston’s office or Minister John Lohr’s office. Father Maroun will call Minister Lohr’s office this afternoon as well as Premier Houston’s office to try and get a simple question answered. That question is; “who is responsible for getting the ball rolling for the negotiations of the new M.O.U. (Memorandum of Understanding). We have also sent the following email to Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton of Port Hawkesbury because as the Vice President of the N.S.F.M. (Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities) she might answer the question we pose to the elected officials. The NSEF is not appreciative that we must ask other politicians, outside our municipality, to answer such an important question. Here is the email we sent Mayor Chisholm-Beaton today. Dear Mayor Chisholm-Beaton: The NSEF is seeking an answer to a question that perhaps you may be able to answer. The question is; Who is responsible to start the process of negotiating a new M.O.U. with the provincial government? As the Vice President of the N.S.F.M, we hope that you can provide some insight to who is responsible to initiate this important process. Premier Houston was very clear that there would be a one-year period, from the time that the additional funding from the Fiscal Capacity grant was provided to the have not municipalities and towns in the province. We are aware that this funding was provided in early November of 2021. As we are entering the fifth month since the additional funding was provided, there is concern that the process has not yet started, and we have asked for clarity from our elected officials but have not received a reply. The community should have the opportunity to provide input and ask questions of this important process as the rural communities of Nova Scotia have not been properly funded for many years while the provincial government is receiving over $2.4 billion this year alone via equalization funding. Thank you, Mayor Chisholm-Beaton, for your time and we hope you will be able to provide some information and clarity on this request for information. Regards, Rev. Dr. Albert Maroun & The NSEF