Cape Breton budget adds police station, dumps heavy garbage pickup

After seven hours of debate and discussion, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality passed its $180-million budget Thursday night. It includes$31.4 million in capital spendingand a$148.8 millionoperating budget.

"This is a moving forward budget, it's a good news budget, one with balanced priorities," Mayor Cecil Clarke said.

"People have varying opinions and things they're passionate about, but ultimately budgets are about trying to find balance."

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About $8.2 million is to be spent on roads in the municipality. That's an increase over last year's budget which included about $7 million for paving local roadsand cost-sharing on provincial and federal roads.

Business Cape Breton gets $287K

Debate was heated over plans fora new police station in Glace Bay and funding to Business Cape Breton, an economic development agency.

The cost of the new police station is estimated at $2.5 million, $625,000 of which was included in thebudget.

The $287,518 set down for Business Cape Bretonis intended to be usedas leverage funding, needed to obtain further money from the provincial and federal governments.

Despite opposition from some councillors on the expenditures, both items remained.

Communities in Bloom program remains

About an hour was also spent discussing the future of the Communities in Bloom program. Several councillorsobjected to continuing the $120,000 program, however it also ended up remaining in the budget.

"It's about priorities and everybody has different priorities," said Marie Walsh, CBRM's chief financial officer.

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"Roads are certainly a big priority for everybody. But the police building in East was important to the chief and important to many of the councillors."

For example, heavy garbage pickup for 2017 has been cancelled for this spring, because of the extensive pickup after the October flood. But if there are budget surpluses, it could be reinstated, Walsh said.