NOVA.SCOTIA (CBC) - The issue of whether Canso will give up its town status and amalgamate with Guysborough County is under legal review after a raucous public meeting Monday night.

The historic coastal community now will decide on the matter in August.

Earlier this month, Canso residents narrowly voted - by an 18-vote margin - in favour of joining Guysborough County. Since the vote was only a sampling of public opinion and not an official plebiscite, a vote by town council was needed to make it binding.

Canso council was supposed to vote on amalgamation Monday evening. Instead, a councillor raised questions about the legality of the election process, which resulted in shouting from the approximately 100 people there.

Mayor Ray White said the decision has to be postponed so the town's lawyer has time to review the situation.

"An opinion is not governed by advance polls and proxy votes. It's just a way to gauge public opinion," White told CBC News.

Nova Scotia Municipal Affairs Minister Jamie Muir said he was surprised by the decision made Monday evening.

"My understanding was that the council was going to honour the decision of the opinion poll," Muir said. "But obviously this is a political decision and the poll is not a legal decision."

Muir said three studies have shown that the best option for Canso would be amalgamation with Guysborough. But he added that amalgamations work best if municipalities are not forced into them and the provincial government has no plans to get involved.

Meanwhile, White said the situation is creating serious rifts in the community.

"The unfortunate side of this is, of course, our community is almost spilt 50/50 in this issue," White said. "That tends to polarize the sides."

"For me, I guess, the priority is to get this resolved one way or another so we can begin to rebuild, you know, the respect for each other's opinions which we may or may not agree with," he said.

If the town council does eventually vote in favour of amalgamation, the issue will then go to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

The board will then hold a public hearing before it makes a final decision.

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