FALL RIVER: The biggest puzzle awaits HRM councillors.
In an interview looking back at 2023 and the tasks ahead in 2024, the Deputy Mayor and representative for Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley Cathy Deagle Gammon said the budget for the coming year is the biggest puzzle facing her and all her council colleagues.
“It is the biggest puzzle,” said Deagle Gammon in the interview in late December.
She also pointed to the homeless situation as a big topic that every councillor is losing sleep over.
“We need to be respectful, that we all have a role to play, and how do we do that and play well and collaboratively,” said Deagle Gammon. “That’s the challenge that we’re faced with. We need to figure that out.”
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She acknowledged there are a lot of issues in 2024 coming up, among them being housing, and how some of the provincial bills affect HRM and their powers, what they can do, what they can’t do, what they will do together.
“There has been sensitivity in the last six months, and it has been in the news, so that’s already out there,” she said. “I do believe that there is significant energy being put towards a better resolution and a better way of working together in 2024.
“I have heard our mayor say that very specifically, so I absolutely agree with that lead.
“We need to work collaboratively, and that’s the only way that we’re going to move forward.”
Deagle Gammon said when things get to be so skill specific, HRM does have to trust the people that have that skill set on various issues and topics.
“That skill set exists within HRM staff, some exist within regional councillors and the other exists within our community,” she said. “I appreciate when an engineer calls me up and says, so Cathy, here’s another way to look at that. I’m like, thank you very much.”
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The most immediate task ahead of councillors is the current budget.
“We need to look at what is that budget process, where is it going to end up? Nobody knows that answer yet,” said Deagle Gammon. “We have the capital budget. We’ve yet to have all the business units present.
“We got the assessments from Property Valuation Services so we’ll know from the assessment roll and what that revenue component will look like.
“Plus there are significant projects within HRM and we need to figure out what can go forward, what goes forward, and to what extent is some of it pushed off to the next year, or is it carved down? Does it happen? Doesn’t it happen?”
Deagle Gammon said add in the municipal election in 2024 and that will make this budget year interesting.
“This budget will be the last budget of this council’s term,” she said. “There are many councillors who have said they’re not offering, so it will be very interesting to see who makes up the council of 2024.”
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She said HRM does their budgeting in public and is fully transparent, whereas other orders of government do not.
“What we’re voting on every week is very public. We do have people come and do public participation at budget, which is incredibly good,” said Deagle Gamon.
“As a councillor for District 1, I’m thrilled when our residents send me emails or a phone call saying, you know, this is coming up, we want to share with you our opinion.
“Oftentimes they’ll say, how are you going to vote on this? And in that moment in time, I’m almost always saying, there’s still more information for me to take in before a decision is made.
“There have been numerous times where a resident has sent me an email and given me something, a little piece of research for me to look at. I have and it’s affected how I would vote.”
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Looking at some of the top three highlights of 2023, she had a few that made her list.
The first is all levels of government working together to get the artificial turf field.
“HRM has taken the lead. We’re working through that, and construction will start soon, most likely in the spring,” she said. “That’s like an over $5 million investment that’s being made. I think that’s incredible. It will support the youth in our communities, really all generations. “
Next would be her capability to use district capital funds to support nonprofits in District 1 as her second highlight of 2023.
“We’ve seen district capital municipal funds being able to use and leverage other provincial federal dollars in a couple of projects,” said Deagle Gammon.
“Most recent example would be in Carroll’s Corner where most beautiful and talented nonprofit board has been able to do work leveraging all three levels of government and corporate to create an outdoor, fully accessible playground.
“That’s awesome and I’m thrilled to see that happening with district capital funds.”
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The third highlight is being elected by her peers as Deputy Mayor in November.
“I’ll have to concede that’s a highlight. That’s a personal highlight,” she said.
She said on another note, one of the 2023 things that she’s proud of is the creation of the Voluntary Vulnerable, Persons Directory.
“I have long been worried about people who may or may not be isolated that if there is a natural or a manmade disaster, how will we know who’s where and what?” she said.
“They need those kinds of things so having that registry come to fruition it’s an accomplishment that I think that HRM is very proud of.”
