CBC Information Morning with Steve Sutherland hosted a CBRM Candidates Roundtable for District 12 on Thursday September 26th. Give it a listen if you haven't already!
Incumbent Lorne Green claimed that all three other Candidates were advocating for increased taxes, which is untrue. Not one of us suggested increasing taxes. We all mentioned a desire for improved services but no one suggested raising tax rates to do so. I would make full use of the federal and provincial funding opportunities we have been missing out on and motion for CBRM to explore generating it's own revenue using Provincial and Federal incentives to establish a Municipal-owned Solar Utility. Lorne claimed he supports the Library but neglected to mention that he voted against $3 million dollars for the library in 2022. This happened when he voted for the 5% across-the-board rate-cut (without a budget) that he was boasting about earlier in the interview, instead of using the one-off $15 million dollar municipal top-up for a 1.5% across-the-board tax decrease, funding for roads, funding for modernization, and the municipal contribution to the library fund. This would have enabled CBRM to advocate for grants and funding for a new central library from Federal and Provincial sources. There's a strong likelihood that choice delayed even starting the new library by 5+ years. Our tax rate increased 3.5% the following year, back to the planned 1.5% across-the-board-cut. This move also upset Minister of Municipalities John Lohr so much that he wrote to Cape Breton Post about it more than once.
Last year, when we made good on our election promise to double the pot of money available for municipalities, many communities used their extra money to actually invest in their communities in meaningful ways such as long-term infrastructure like roads and sewer.
CBRM was an outlier. CBRM council used last year’s extra funding on a one-time tax decrease that ended up benefitting commercial retailers far more than the average Cape Bretoner. We had expected these monies to be used for long-term investments that could not have otherwise been made.
Green's suggestions for increasing revenue were (1) construction and (2) fundraising for the library "to show the province we're serious". Budgeting for a $3 million dollar contribution to the New Library from CBRM would have shown we're serious back in 2022 and wouldn't have upset the Province. The library is constantly fundraising and is fundraising not similar to tax dollars, just asking citizens for their money instead of demanding it? Does Lorne Green have any ideas for increasing municipal revenue outside of property taxes? From his interview answers, no.
I had too many things I wanted to speak on and too many nerves to fit it in, but I want to see CBRM invest in a municipal owned energy utility and generate our own revenue while offering escape from NS Power's consistent rate hikes, relieving a portion of the energy poverty in CBRM (see linked page 103). I would motion to action the Strategic Task Force's suggestion of a Grant Writer and Volunteer Coordinator on staff. There are provincial and federal funding opportunities that CBRM is missing out on. These positions would easily generate more revenue than they would cost.
Lorne Green suggested improving Accessibility would cost the tax payer. I counter that not improving accessibility will absolutely further cost the tax payer. There are fines built into the Accessibility Act. CBRM could already be fined for the inaccessibility of it's City Hall/ Civic Centre since the Standards for the Built Environment came into effect for public bodies last year. There are additional economic benefits to our tourism industry (which I highlighted earlier in the roundtable) as well as quality-of-life benefits for our 37.5% of Nova Scotian's living with disability. I'm guessing CBRM could be even higher than 37.5% given our high population of seniors. After age 65, 1 in 2 Canadians live with one or more disabilities with 44% of those age 65+ reporting severe or very severe disabilities. Imagine the benefits for local business, community health and happiness if more of our citizens could equitably access their communities?
If Council had a member with significant employment, educational, and lived experience in accessibility and disability (like me), or even a member who listened and gave time to a dedicated accessibility advocate, enough to listen to the funding opportunities, (Kim Sheppard has spent more time talking with me about accessibility issues than Lorne Green has as a Councillor), we wouldn't be missing out on these funding opportunities or having our Accessibility Committee in limbo for a year.
Some of the Missed Funding Opportunities
The Federal Enabling Accessibility Fund Mid Sized Projects was a $500,000 to $3,000,000 funding opportunity that, from my understanding, no one on Council motioned for CBRM to apply for. This could have funded a dedicated Accessibility Coordinator and possibility could have been used towards the New Central Library.
The Small Sized Projects Component was a $125,000 funding opportunity that, I'm told, one baseball field applied for. It wasn't one in District 12. I would have liked to apply to this fund for either an Accessible Playground at Neville Park or to make the Heritage Trail accessible.
The Youth Innovation Component is an annual federal accessibility grant. I applied with CBRM staff for $10,000 in funding last year and we are working on applying for up to $24,000 this year. I would have applied with Community Groups in Whitney Pier in 2023 had Lorne Green supported me with connecting to them, in particular I wanted to see Accessibility Improvements to Neville Park playground which has the same inaccessible equipment it had when I was a child.
Provincial Community AccessABILITY Grant offers up to $100,000 annually.
I would leverage the Accessibility Act to advocate to the Province for increased funding, particularly for our sidewalks and maintenance of them, transit improvements, and improvements in all areas of Provincial responsibility. I recognize the Accessibility Act as a strong advocacy tool in requesting increased funding from the Province, especially considering CBRM's demographics.
It is not right that the workers that built up our province's economy are not given enough funding consideration to ensure they can age well in their homes and communities. The coal miners and steel plant workers who risked their health and bodies working in industries that contributed to much of Nova Scotia's earlier prosperity deserve accessible neighbourhoods. They deserve far better from our province and our municipality, as well as anyone else who has unmet accessibility needs.
If you don't jive with my message, please strongly consider Kim Sheppard for District 12. Gary Borden does great things in community but few of his points in the CBC roundtable related to Municipal responsibilities. I believe Kim Sheppard would have made more thoughtful choices for our municipality over the last 4 years had she gotten 57 more votes.
Did you know that Kim had less than 1/3rd of Lorne's campaign funding in 2020 yet still came very close to winning over him? Lorne had the highest campaign fund of any Candidate for Council, more than twice as much as all other 2020 District 12 Candidates combined, even higher than some Mayoral Candidates. He donated $6000 to himself, leaving him with $6900 to spend on signs, etc. I don't think that should be allowed but that's just my opinion! If elected, I will motion for changes to increase fairness in municipal elections. Sources for fact checking:
Disability in Nova Scotia and Canada's 2022 Survey on Disability
Mary Campbell's writing on the 2022 tax cut includes voting info and the library amount
"About that Tax Cut" April 13, 2022
"The Tip I Left Is Higher Than What I'm Going to Save on My Taxes" - April 13, 2022
"Cut Now, Borrow Later" April 20, 2022
"Lohr Writes a Letter" April 12, 2023
"About that Tax Cut" - May 31, 2023
"CBRM Council: Properties and Taxes" - June 28, 2023
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