Proposed local improvement bylaw meets with stiff opposition in Victoria County

A draft bylaw that would change the way infrastructure is paid for in Victoria County is facing stiff opposition.

The county is holding a public hearing next week at the Keltic Lodge in Ingonish, N.S., to hear what residents think about the local improvement bylaw, which received first reading by council in June.

More than 900 people have signed an online petition opposing final reading of the bylaw. The county's former chief administrative officer has also come out against it, calling it divisive and unaffordable.

The proposed bylaw was presented to the public at meetings in each of the county's eight districts earlier this year. Deputy warden Larry Dauphinee, who represents the Ingonish area, said continued widespread opposition is one of the reasons for the public hearing.

"We knew it was going to be controversial, so we said let's put it out to the public and do it the democratic way and let them have a say and see if they're interested," he said.

"If they're interested, great and if they're not interested, that's fine also. But we wanted to get the message out and let people have their chance to say what they thought about it."

Taxes could be levied for infrastructure projects

The cost of large infrastructure projects is often shared by the federal and provincial governments, with funding from municipalities as well.

In some cases, municipalities finance their share through general tax revenues on all properties.

Under the local improvement bylaw, properties that are expected to benefit from new or improved infrastructure, such as sewer and water systems, could be levied with taxes to pay for the municipality's share.

Victoria County is largely rural, with more than 7,000 residents — many of whom work in seasonal industries such as fishing and tourism — spread over 2,900 square kilometres stretching from central Cape Breton Island to the northern tip at Meat Cove.

Sandy Hudson, a former Victoria County councillor and retired chief administrative officer, said in a letter to council that the bylaw would "stifle development and growth" in the county.

"None of our existing communities are equipped to undertake significant capital improvements without municipal leadership and strong financial leadership," he said.

"We are a county of various communities who need each other to prosper and grow and I feel this bylaw will divide and conquer and stifle even the most worthy and necessary projects."

The county has used general revenues to pay for past infrastructure projects in Baddeck, Middle River, Little Narrows, Ingonish and Dingwall.

Dauphinee said the bylaw was drafted based on those in other Nova Scotia municipalities, after council asked for options on financing new projects, partly in response to development around Ski Cape Smokey in Ingonish.

The ski hill's Czech Republic investors have already planned and costed building a sewage system there to support their development plans, he said.

The nearby Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Keltic Lodge resort, which is owned by Parks Canada and managed by a company from Ontario, are also interested in a central septic system, Dauphinee said.

If all three combined on one system and the federal and provincial governments kicked in a share, it could be cheaper for residents nearby to connect to a sewer line and eliminate the need for each property to have its own septic system, he said.

"Without three main anchors, it might be impossible for us to afford it ... but no decision has been made to go ahead. It'll all depend on the financing."

The elected representatives are aware of the possible financial impact on residents, he said.

"From a councillor standpoint, we all knew it was controversial. And we know the economic standing of a lot of our residents in these areas, and what they can afford and not afford. So that's why we said we shouldn't be making the decision," Dauphinee said.

"We could have went ahead and actually passed the bylaw, but we said, 'No, let's get it on the table. Let's go to a second hearing. Let's get the public's input and see. And if they're not interested in it, they're not interested in it.'"

Lack of sewer system has hurt: Dauphinee

However, the lack of a central septic system has held back some residential development in Ingonish, he said.

"Housing is a major issue here in Ingonish and we've had some investors looking at Ingonish [and] trying to build. Land is a big issue and with no [central sewer system], you need twice as much land to build anything."

Dauphinee said he has heard from some residents who are interested in learning about the proposed bylaw, but most are against it.

However, he said a lot of the opposition is based on misinformation. For example, the bylaw will not be used to pay for roads and bridges that are already a provincial responsibility, Dauphinee said.

Victoria County council is holding its regular monthly meeting at the Keltic Lodge on Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public hearing on the proposed bylaw will start at 5 p.m.

Dauphinee said a decision on the bylaw will be made at a future council meeting.

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