Taxpayers win battle

By Greg Bennett

The Coast Guard

NovaNewsNow.com

In the end, the angry voices of municipal residents won out.

Two proposals; one for Shelburne Municipality to buy the former naval base and another to move its offices to the former boy’s school were overwhelmingly quashed by councillors during budget deliberations on Wednesday night.

The proposals would have seen tax rates increase by almost 17 per cent in the Municipality of Shelburne. In a series of four budget meetings, hundreds of people have come out to municipal budget meetings to express their anger and concerns.

Monday night’s meeting saw scattered applause as one by one councillors voted down the expensive proposals.

“It’s what the people want,” said Councillor Raymond Davis, while expressing concerns that the municipality could be opening itself up to a lawsuit from the South West Shore Development Authority.

The former naval base, now called Shelburne Park, has been described as a money pit since its closure by the federal government, absorbing millions in dollars in development funds.

SWSDA has operated the base for the past few years, and has lost more than $1-million in the process.

In recent weeks the development authority has pressured the municipality for a $500,000 loan guarantee to help cover its continuing losses until a buyer can be found.

At Wedensday night’s meeting councillors were more concerned with loans totaling more than $140,000 that the municipality has already guaranteed for SWSDA.

“They are clear legal obiligations,” said Councillor Sherman Embree.

CAO Reg Ridley and Deputy Warden Pat Nickerson also expressed concerns that the municipality should be prepared to pay on those loan guarantees.

“RBC could call on those loans any time,” she said. “We can’t tear up that piece of paper.”

Warden Paulette Scott, who had been a proponent of both proposals, voted Monday night along with her councillors to quash them.

“The RDA will do what it has to do and council will do what it has to do,” she said, noting that SWSDA has already delivered eviction notices to businesses renting space at the former base.