To the editor,
I have just received the publication put out by the Pictou Municipal Council on the development of the waterfront. Right on the cover there is a disclaimer stating that certain portions were blacked out because they contained some comments of a personal nature. I cannot see two or three whole pages containing personal comments. After reading the report, it is obvious that the town, like the upper towns, is finding itself in financial difficulties – so much so, that they have cut back extremely on the activities of the Hector and the interpretation centre for one thing.
This has been a major drawing card to the town, and the losses of income generated by the cutbacks must far exceed the so-called savings. This situation has had to have been caused by poor administrative and financial planning. It has been stated that the rural residents of the county contribute very little to the towns. I disagree with that, as the Municipality of Pictou County alone contributed over a quarter of a million dollars to the area over and above the funds taken in by user-pay locations like the Hector Arena and the fisheries training pool. The payment to the arena was over $82,000 alone.
Getting back to my opening statements, I strongly suspect that the blacked-out pages dealt with plans to amalgamate the county as a whole. Halifax and Cape Breton counties did just that, making all kinds of promises of wonderful things and services to come which were never realized. The only wonderful thing that happened was that rural properties were re-assessed, thereby increasing their property taxes.
The towns have even brought in the big guns like Sobeys to favour the idea. There is absolutely nothing but heartaches for rural residents of the county if it takes place. The towns will have more clout on a council of the rural municipality by sheer numbers alone, and we’ll just get crumbs. I urge every rural resident of the county to contact their district councillor and voice their opinion against. Don’t bother calling your MLAs as they are all for it.
Stanley H. Jones
Lyons Brook
