BEAVER BANK/FALL RIVER: HRM Councillors Lisa Blackburn and Cathy Deagle Gammon are both pleased with aspects of the recently passed $833 million HRM Budget that will see each of their districts reap benefits as a result.
Halifax regional council approved $833 million in total municipal expenditures, provincial mandatory contributions of $173.8-million and a capital plan of $177.9 million as part of the 2021-22 municipal budget.
The budget will see a residential tax rate increase of 1.0 per cent. The average single-family home tax bill will increase by $21, while the overall average commercial tax bill will increase by 1.0 per cent.
But it is the benefits inside the budget for those in Upper/Middle Sackville-Lucasville-Beaver Bank that has Blackburn smiling the most.
“In District 14, this budget will mean a lot of road work in the community this year,” she told The Laker News.
Those with a need for speed may also want to take note of what the budget means for roads in her communities.
“Speeding is the number one complaint I get every year and this budget provides an extra $1 million for traffic calming projects, several of them in the district,” Blackburn said.
Deagle Gammon spoke of the spinoffs for her riding of Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley from the budget.
She found keeping the tax increase to just one per cent was a highlight for her first HRM budget.
“I know some people would like it to be a zero increase, but I think one per cent was the best compromise,” said Deagle Gammon on May 5.
“It was rather exciting as my first budget.
“The most interesting part I think is when you come in and there’s three budgets in a year, you have less opportunity to be as proactive as you might want to be.
By the next time we get to budget time, I will be more well-versed on what the district needs.”
She said increase in funding for traffic calming was next, as was increase for planning staff, which she said will assist commercial and residential growth. There are numerous streets on the list to have traffic calming tools installed in District 1.
“Hopefully, those will process faster as a result of more staff,” she said.
Deagle Gammon said having the green bins back weekly is also a plus.
“Residents were really worried about what might happen with that,” she said.
The only downside she found was that she had hoped more money would have been in the budget for roads.
“What we need to do for our roads is a significant investment so we need to figure out what that plan will be over the next three years,” said Deagle Gammon.
She also said six months was not enough time to get the bus route in for Fall River or the Turf Field project in for this year’s budget.
“There’s next year, and we’re on our way to a better path with all of that even though we didn’t get it in this time,” she said.
Deagle Gammon said the Enfield fire-Halifax Fire agreement is still in negotiations.
“It would have been nice to have seen that finished before budget was, but the comments made during budget discussions assured me that the $40,000 wouldn’t be an impediment to an agreement,” she said, “and if that money was needed to see an agreement come to fruition that it was there. Having that on the record is good and a helpful place to be.”
She said there are more boots on the ground officers needed, especially in her community of Fall River/Waverley.
“The decision around a staff report looking at if we have the right policing model. Is it working well? Where can it be improved?” she said. “I think that will be an interesting read when it comes out.
“I’m anxiously awaiting those recommendations.”
Deagle Gammon said balancing a $1 billion is not easy, with all the needs that are in HRM.
“It’s a delicate balance when you’re looking at what is the best investment for HRM,” she said. “That’s a big learning curve for anyone. This is not a small piece of work.”
