Email to MLA Keith Irving and MMLA Chuck Porter

May 13, 2014.  3:37 PM.

To:  Keith and Chuck

I received and posted the following letter yesterday.

It asks the question: who determines when conflict of interest occurs in municipal government. 

What is the answer? 

Thanks!

-Heather Davidson

Letter to the editor 
May13/14

The document entitled “Hantsport Direction Decision April 2014”, Section 3, shows a graph of the
trend in Historical Tax Rates in Hantsport.  From 1998/9 to around 2006/7 the commercial rate hovered around 2.80%, while the residential tax rate was about 1.65%.  Between 2006/7 and today, the commercial rate has increased to about 3.80%, and the residential rate to about 1.69%.  The issue seems to be more one of increasing commercial rates. 

For 2012/13, the base rates (not including area rates) for West Hants were 0.94% residential and 1.68% commercial, for Kings 0.85% residential and 2.29% commercial.  

Question 1:  So who stands to benefit the most by dissolving the Town of Hantport, from a taxation standpoint?  If I were a large commercial entity, I might think that dissolution was a great idea.  Furthermore, on the question of which way do we go,  I would certainly promote becoming part of West Hants.  However, if I were “just” a resident of the Town of Hantsport, I might lean towards Kings, assuming I even thought dissolution was a good idea.

Question 2:  Given the stakes, should citizens of Hantsport be concerned about a conflict of interest in the handling of this whole matter?

Martin Vander Baaren

--
Heather Davidson

 hantsbordernews.ca