Opportunities and Challenges
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For the past eight years we have managed to bring forward a balanced budget and pay down on the debt that came to HRM from the amalgamated municipalities in 1996. We remain in a sound financial position and ensure full value for the investment of your tax dollars.
One of our greatest challenges is finding the revenues to repair and replace our aging infrastructure. Present levels of property tax only allow us to maintain the status quo. To meet the enormous challenges in replacing aging infrastructure and building the new infrastructure required by our rapid growth we need more revenue. We are exploring all avenues and approaches. The federal and provincial governments must both make dedicated commitments of funds to this challenge.
Our dream of a clean harbour is become more of a reality every day. The $330 million dollar sewage treatment project is already having an impact on the quality of water in our harbour. Recent tests have shown that the bacteria count is down in the harbour to levels, which permit recreational activities. The plants at Dartmouth and Herring Cove are well underway and when they are completed measurable results in the harbour will be even better.
Two of the biggest and best impacts of improved transit service are less traffic and a smaller greenhouse gas footprint for HRM. Our five-year plan is multi-faceted. We will add to the popular and successful MetroLink service. We will begin rural express transit with strategic park and ride locations along major highways, a high frequency downtown shuttle will interconnect routes and get passengers closer to their destination, we will add buses to respond to demand on existing routes, and we will begin our first mass transit project the HarborLink high speed ferry. To enable the to- notch mechanical servicing required, we will build a new transit garage. Transit will become the first choice for many daily commuters.
Prompted by our heightened awareness that violent crime in HRM was a consistent threat to public safety, I asked Professor Don Clairmont a noted criminologist to create a far-reaching roundtable discussion and bring back recommendations for change. There was a tremendous response from all segments of the community. From his study we now have clear recommendations that address the many contributing factors identified. I have met with Chief Beazley and have his full cooperation. I also meet with both Nova Scotia Justice Minister Cecil Clark and Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on possible changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. I will continue to work to implement the recommendations and closely monitor public safety.
We have entered a very challenging time for our planet and environment. This is the era of “peak oil”, of greenhouse gases affecting our climate, of carelessly discarded waste products permanently scarring and destroying the natural environment and of unprecedented scientific knowledge and technology to solve these problems. HRM has a worldwide reputation for taking the lead in dealing with solid waste. We have made some other in-roads- use of biodiesel fuels, use of geothermal energy to cool Alderney Landing, an energy efficient lighting program, but we must do far more. In each and every decision, we must consider sustainability.
The public process of Halifax by Design has identified a number of design principles for development in the urban core that create a new accord between those who defend and preserve our built heritage and those anxious to stimulate our growth with larger scale projects. These principles will become guideposts as we move ahead into economically stimulating projects that will not detract from our attractive streetscapes but will add architectural icons reflective of this period in our history.
Our amalgamated municpality is empowered through the Municpal Government Act. This provincial legislation was devised prior to large-scale amalgamation and basically addresses the needs of municpality in the same way regardless of size or population. The immense geographical area and large population of Halifax Regional Municipality create needs for our municipality that are very different from every other municipality in the province. A new legislative order is required. With this in mind we have approached the government of Nova Scotia and asked for a separate charter to give HRM the tools it requires to govern most effectively. The province has agreed to put this legislation forward at the next sitting of the legislature.
In spite of the many needs resulting from our rapid growth and our aging infrastucture, I have remained determined to ensure that our budget kept wihin our means and addressed the broad spectrum of challenges we face. For eight years I have been proud to preside over a balanced budget.
In spite of the many needs resulting from our rapid growth and our aging infrastucture, I have remained determined to ensure that our budget kept wihin our means and addressed the broad spectrum of challenges we face. For eight years I have been proud to preside over a balanced budget.
Initiatives & Successes
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In spite of the many needs resulting from our rapid growth and our aging infrastucture, I have remained determined to ensure that our budget kept wihin our means and addressed the broad spectrum of challenges we face. For eight years I have been proud to preside over a balanced budget.
When HRM became an amalgamated municipality, any debts on the books of the previous municipalities became our debt. I have been determined in each of the eight years I have been mayor that we would reduce our debt load. Our debt has steadily reduced. This effort has been rewarded by the excellent fiscal reputation we have and our strong designation with Standard and Poor’s.
It has been the dream of municipal leaders for years to clean up our harbour. The enormous price tag, $330 million was overwhelming. I was determined upon becoming mayor to find the resources required and tackle this problem. I was able to convince our federal and provincial partners in the worth of the project and with their participation we went ahead. Things looked bleak when the original consortium pulled out. However, we persevered and have managed to keep the project on time and on budget.
All of us have become more aware of the threats to our safety and the increase in violent incidents over the past several years. In 2007 I felt compelled to act, to find ways to deal with this. I asked Professor Don Clairmont, a noted criminologist, to create and guide a public process that would provide us with a better understanding of the factors that were responsible and with concrete recommendations for improvements. The roundtable sessions were very well attended and we were able to amass a great deal of data and public observation. I am firmly committed to the recommendations of the report I received from Dr. Clairmont in May 2008. We are carrying them out and looking forward to substantial improvements.
The role of the Government of Canada in immigration is generally to make sure newcomers fit the criteria for successful migration to full Canadian citizenship. The province manages economic factors that contribute to successful immigration. The role of the municipality in the immigration process is to be a welcoming and supportive community for new Canadians facilitate employment opportunities and provide positive connections to the community. In 2005 with the support of my fellow mayors in the Atlantic Mayor’s Congress I convened a regional conference attended by 300 significant stakeholders to further define the municipal role. We emerged with a so-called “toolkit” of ideas which have become the fabric of our municipal immigration strategy and the strategy and policy of most municipalities in the Atlantic Region.
There are many well-trained and very professional emergency responders in HRM. Police, Firefighters, EMS paramedics, Search and Rescue personnel, Dispatchers and many others are the leading edge in any response to a significant emergency. Part of the challenge in the stressful atmosphere of emergency is to have all responders act as one coordinated unit. This sort of coordination has been a priority in HRM for several years. We have made real progress. In times of emergency the Joint Emergency Operations Centre (multi-force, provincial and municipal) is mobilized and manned by a team with established protocols and a working relationship forged both through training together and facing emergencies together. The model we have developed has become a template for other jurisdictions. As Co-Chairman of the Big City Mayor’s Caucus committee on Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, I have had the opportunity to showcase and share our model across Canada.
HRM has become a global leader in waste management. Our citizen’s support for separation of waste products according to destination along with our advanced methods of recycling, composting and running a clean landfill operation all combine to keep us on the leading edge. Our success in this area has motivated us to become involved in a full range of choices that will help sustain our environment for future generations. We have begun using biofuels in municpal vehicles. We are putting in place a state of the art wastewater system, which will clean and protect our harbour. We are replacing all of our lighting with long lasting and energy efficient LED lights. We are moving to better management and recovery of energy with projects like Alderny Landing where the cool waters from deep in the harbour will be used for the air conditioning of this large municipal building complex. We are actively pursuing new projects involving heat recovery which will use BTU’s that are now lost instead of burning fossil fuel to create new BTU’s. This is an attitude and mindset we must continue and develop.