County needs ‘one voice’ to move forward

To the Editor:
The ongoing saga of implementing a governance study for Pictou County hit yet another roadblock this week when Stellarton town Council voted 3 – 2 to not support the study.
For well over a year now there have been numerous attempts at getting this matter initiated at the municipal council level. Individual councils have discussed the issue, the mayors and warden have discussed it privately, the provincial government has agreed to fund up to $150,000 towards the cost of a study, the six units cannot agree on the cost sharing of the remaining cost and so here we sit with no movement on this matter.
This inability of the six units to come together on this issue really highlights the crux of the problem, the inability to reach a decision on the future of the entire county when six separate governments with 41 elected members must agree.
One common theme from these failed discussions has been the idea that the initiative for change has to come from the ground up or the grassroots. Municipal leaders have noted that they need to hear from their individual constituents and make a decision based on what is best for them. The Province has indicated the same as echoed by the Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, John MacDonell commenting on the decision made by Stellarton Council this week, and I quote, “We’re not going to order them to do it. At some point, it’s going to have to be their own constituents that say get this done.”
I agree and, in fact, it is already being done. “One Voice for Pictou County” is a grassroots, citizens group that has been formed to provide a forum for public input regarding the issue of municipal governance reform in Pictou County.
A Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pictoucountyunited has been created as a first step in this process. The next step will be to host a public meeting on February 29 at the New Glasgow Public Library Community Room from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
It is intended to be a “Town Hall” style meeting with comments and discussion from those in attendance leading to the creation of an action plan on moving forward with a governance study.
All current municipal councillors and leaders have been invited to attend and participate. But perhaps more importantly it will be your opportunity to have your voice heard on this issue critical to the future of Pictou County.
Let’s use our extra day this year, come together and help create a plan that will enable Pictou County to speak with one united voice and “leap” forward with renewed energy.
Lennie White
One Voice
for Pictou County