Eastern Shelburne Joint Services Board racks up $400,000 deficit

By Greg Bennett

The Coast Guard

NovaNewsNow.com

Eastern Shelburne County’s Joint Services Board has racked up a deficit of more than $400,000 which is a nasty surprise for the towns of Lockeport and Shelburne, and for the Municipality of Shelburne, which will have to pick up more than 70 per cent of the tab.

Shelburne Municipal CAO Reg Rigdley says the collection, sorting and transportation of waste has proven more expensive for the municipal units than what was expected.

“It’s a big number and we’re going to have to find a way to deal with it,” said Ridgley, who noted that the municipality has already given notice to opt out of the sharing agreement by next year.

“We’re paying 73 per cent of the costs but only getting one third of a vote,” he said.

A frustrated Lockeport Mayor Darian Huskilson expressed anger over the timing of the budgetary surprise, coming when municipal units are well into the process of setting their tax rates.

“This didn’t just pop up,” said Huskilson. “Regardless of their problems, we pay the municipality $20,000 to provide financial services for the board …but we’re not receiving the service. I wonder how many more time bombs are waiting for us?”

Despite problems, Huskilson, a former chairman of the joint services board, argued against disbanding it.

“I don’t think it’s fair to kill it,” said Huskilson, noting his feeling that the municipal units need to work together to provide better services for people in the county.

“I was proud as a peacock at UNSM (Union of Nova Scotia Muncipalities) meetings to tell people how our Joint Services Board works,” he said.

Besides handling waste collection the board is also responsible for building and fire inspections as well as emergency measures and jail facilities for the Eastern Shelburne County municipal units.