Two municipal units in Yarmouth County overwhelmingly embraced motions last week to hold a session to look at the pros and cons of consolidation of the municipal units in the county.
The Town of Yarmouth and the Municipality of Yarmouth councils approved motions to approach the province to hold a facilitated session with the units to discuss the idea of consolidation of the three municipal units in Yarmouth County.
The third municipality in the county – the Municipality of Argyle – was to hold its discussion on the matter at its council meeting on Tuesday evening, Jan. 14. (Note: Watch for an update online and in print on their discussion.)
It’s been noted that having a facilitated session involving the units does not bind anyone to consolidation. Rather it’s a chance to explore the benefits, ask questions, etc. It is also not known how exactly consolidation – if that path was to be pursued – would look. Those would be things to be determined.
There was very little discussion when the matter came up on the town’s agenda at its monthly meeting on Jan. 9. Everyone around the table was supportive of the motion and the vote to approve it was unanimous.
“I believe that this is long overdue, at least the discussion part of it,” said Coun. Wade Cleveland. “I know that a lot of people think about savings or not savings, or duplication of different services. More than anything I see this as a move towards us becoming unified with a stronger voice and that together we are that much more strong.
“I cannot wait to see what the facilitator has to say,” he said. “I can’t wait to have this discussion.”
Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood reiterated this is not a decision to proceed with consolidation itself, but rather to feel out the issue.
“It’s just to put everything on the table, sort through and see where we want to go from there,” she said.
The Municipality of Yarmouth is also open to participating in a session with the Town of Yarmouth and Municipality of Argyle in the near future to discuss potential consolidation. At a special council meeting on Jan. 8, the municipality approved holding a non-binding facilitated session, to be coordinated by the provincial minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Councillors were receptive to the idea and Deputy Warden John Cunningham spoke at length on the topic.
“Believe it or not, I’m in support of this motion," he said. "There are many reasons why I’m supporting it. I never realized how much time and effort has gone into a lot of these municipal government cooperation agreements.
“It’s tiring to sit down at a table, to sit down with three partners that own one piece of infrastructure, and trying to get the funding partners to agree on stuff.”
He added there was a time he was dead-set against even considering consolidation but over the past three-and-a-half years his eyes have been opened.
“We waste a lot of time working on these inter-municipal agreements,” he said.
Coun. Patti Durkee said she looks forward to the fact-finding mission.
“Because essentially that’s all it is, we’re getting facts. Therefore, in the future we can make a decision as to whether or not we think this is best for our community,” she said.
Warden Leland Anthony has a 25-year history in municipal politics and said consolidation has been raised several times.
“It’s never moved forward. But in these 25 years I’ve come to realize technology changes. I realize that we have to step up and I won’t say accept change, but help move change forward,” he said. “I hope this change is for the residents of the municipality and I’m 99 per cent sure it would be, but I don’t want to rush in any way, shape or form.”
In the days leading up to their discussion at the Argyle council table, some councillors from that municipality had sought input from constituents about their thoughts on the issue through postings on Facebook.
There was a question at the town council meeting last week about whether all three units in Yarmouth County would have to be agreeable for the issue to move forward or whether things could proceed if just two units were agreeable. It was said at the town council table that it was felt things could go ahead with just two units if that turned out to be the case.
