The deadline for a decision on how many councillors will govern the new Entity 40, as well as who they will represent, has been delayed. Government-appointed facilitator Chad Peters had informed Sackville town council that a decision would happen by this Friday, February 11, but has since informed them he will take more time on the decision.
A meeting of the advisory committee appointed by Peters is also delayed. It will now happen next week, on February 15. Mayor Shawn Mesheau and Deputy Mayor Andrew Black have been appointed to the advisory committee representing Sackville. The department of local government has confirmed that Mayor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell will represent the village of Dorchester, along with Deputy Mayor Robert Corkerton. Mary-Ellen Trueman will represent the Pointe de Bute Local Service District (LSD), and Matt Beal will represent the Dorchester LSD. The department still has no representatives from the Sackville LSD.
The original timeline proposed by Peters allowed no opportunity for public consultation, something that garnered much criticism last week from Sackville town councillors at the first ever meeting of their municipal reform committee.
That committee is tentatively planning to meet again this week, on Wednesday evening.
Last Wednesday’s meeting was the first since the municipal reform committee was formed on December 13, right after council approved a letter to the province expressing their displeasure at proposed amalgamation. In that letter, the town asked the province to consider leaving Sackville’s boundaries as they are. The province rejected that request, and is now proceeding with the amalgamation of Sackville, Dorchester, and three surrounding local service districts.
A number of councillors expressed concern over the speed of the process to decide the composition of the new council that will take control of the amalgamated Entity 40 in 2023, and
Provincially-appointed facilitator Chad Peters will decide how many seats make up the new council, and how the representatives will be elected, either at-large, representing the entire municipality, or by wards, representing specific parts of the municipality. A combination of the two is also an option. Peters will also decide the boundaries of the wards, if he decides to include them.
Local government communications officer Vicky Lutes writes that, “Mr. Peters will be working with the [provincially appointed advisory] committee to determine which option ensures a balance of fair representation on a population and geographic basis.”
The public will not be privy to the discussion of those options, and what their appointed representatives have to say about them, as meetings of the provincially appointed advisory committee are not open to the public, and Chad Peters has refused interviews with both CHMA and the New Wark Times.
Lutes goes on to write that the committee will “operate on a consensus basis” and that the goal is to achieve “a structure that works for all communities that will make up the new entity.”
CHMA has asked for further details on the make-up of the advisory committee, and on what happens if a consensus is not achieved on the committee.
“Lack of action” prompted formation of committee
Wednesday’s Sackville committee meeting included a number of comments from councillors expressing their frustration at the process so far, and some suggestions that town council not participate further, lest they become “complicit” in what the province is doing.
Early on in the meeting, Mayor Shawn Mesheau asked for clarification on the purpose of the newly struck council committee, which has no legal standing in the process the province has outlined for amalgamation.
Councillor Bill Evans chimed in to say his intention for backing the formation of a committee was a “lack of action” in response to the government’s White Paper proposing amalgamation back on November 18, 2021. Mayor Shawn Mesheau said at the time he was surprised by the proposal, and was waiting on staff’s assessment of the White Paper. Council did not meet publicly about the matter until December 6, just over two weeks after the White Paper was released.
“This committee was formed by councillors who were concerned with the lack of an appropriate response,” said Evans, calling the response from Mayor Shawn Mesheau at the time “rather accepting and passive.”
“This committee is our opportunity to inform the public about what’s being forced on us,” said Evans. “It’s not a vehicle for the Conservatives to push their agenda. They can do that through their advisory committees.”
Evans didn’t mince words throughout the meeting, and was highly critical of Minister Daniel Allain, who took on local governance reform after the PCs were reelected with a majority government in 2020.
“He’s a get ‘er done kind of guy,” said Evans. “He wants to be able to say that he did local governance reform, and I don’t think it matters to him that it’s done well.”
Evans said he doesn’t think Allain is concerned whether amalgamation leaves residents better or worse off, as long as it’s been achieved. As a vocal opponent of the amalgamation plan, Evans is predicting residents will be worse off, and that the new municipal council will bear the brunt of the blame.
“The people in the LSDs are unhappy because they’re paying more taxes, people in Sackville are paying higher tax and getting fewer services, because we have to spread ourselves more thin,” said Evans. “It doesn’t matter. He’ll be able to say he got it done. And the blame will be on the new municipality. It’s sleazy.”
Evans added that cooperating with the amalgamation effort was akin to “aiding and abetting,” and suggested that further resistance to the plan is not only possible, but called for.
“There’s no price to pay here to keep speaking truth to power,” said Evans. “This process isn’t over, it’s hardly begun.”
In a veiled dig at Mayor Shawn Mesheau, whose brother Peter Mesheau represented the Tantramar riding as a PC MLA from 1997 to 2006, Evans suggested continued opposition to amalgamation is called for, “unless you’re trying to curry favour with the Conservatives.”
“I think when you find yourself in a situation like this, where you’re relatively powerless, you speak up, and you call them out for what they’ve done and what they’re doing,” said Evans. “And you inform people about the likely consequences. You rally support. What you don’t do is provide cover for the people who are assaulting our rights, and you certainly don’t actively assist them.”
“Our voices were heard”
Deputy Mayor Andrew Black chaired Wednesday’s meeting, and recapped what’s happened to date and what’s to come. He said the process for him has felt like a roller coaster, and he shared the frustration of councillors like Bill Evans, especially when it comes to a lack of communication and engagement. Though Black had a more positive take on council’s role.
“Council and staff have worked hard to get our say in whenever and wherever the opportunity presented itself,” says Black, “and tried to do the very best we could for the town we represent.”
“We pushed we nudged. We kicked and screamed. Even though we were often turned down, our voices were heard,” said Black, who is taking a pragmatic approach to what the province is doing.
“This reform process is going to continue to roll on with the timelines presented by the government. And as it does, concerns will come up. Particulars will be debated. And through all of that I have great confidence that we will be heard again and again,” said Black. “We may not get the answers that we want, when we voice our opinions, but I do have confidence in the fact that we will be heard.”
Councillor Sabine Dietz agreed with Black’s pragmatic assessment, but also raised some red flags.
“I agree with you. We are where we’re at,” said Dietz. “I think we’ve been heard and we will be continued to be heard. But that doesn’t mean there will be any follow up from it. I think Fredericton heard us screaming and kicking, but there was no impact from that.”
Dietz urged members of the public to look at Act 82, which was passed in December and gives Minister Allain the powers to make major and fundamental decisions in the formation of Entity 40, and others around the province.
Dietz also made clear that the tiny role of councillors in the coming amalgamation process. “Our participation as councillors is very limited, and our influence is extremely limited,” said Dietz.
Councillors Michael Tower, Bruce Phinney, Allison Butcher and Ken Hicks were also at the meeting, and shared their concerns over the reform process, and making suggestions about how and whether to take on public consultation on the issues, considering that the province is not doing so.
Mayor Shawn Mesheau was there for a short time before leaving for another municipal meeting.
Councillor Matt Estabrooks, who has expressed his support for the amalgamation, was at the meeting, but did not speak. At council meetings in December Estabrooks told council that amalgamation made sense “logistically, geographically and financially” in the long term. “Our larger community already encompasses all of the areas identified in Entity 40,” said Estabrooks. “Entity 40 is who we are and it captures everyone who currently resides and uses the services the Town of Sackville provides.”
You can check out Wednesday’s full meeting below. It’s also posted on the town of Sackville’s website, on a page specifically set up to distribute information about amalgamation.
