Former foe of Kings County rural community leads push for one now

There's a renewed effort in Kings County to turn five Sussex-area local service districts into one rural community.

The idea for a community bigger than Sussex and Hampton combined is being touted by one of the leaders of the "no" movement five years ago.

Former Kings East Liberal MLA LeRoy Armstrong now thinks the time has come for change.

"As opposed to separate LSDs, we would have some control over our destiny," Armstrong said Tuesday in an interview with Information Morning Saint John.

"This gives them a voice, a louder voice, I think we can make some definite gains."

Kings County voters rejected the rural community idea in 2013, with a resounding 76 per cent answering "No" in the plebiscite.

The results of a plebiscite found 1,422 voters in Cardwell, Hammond, Studholm, Waterford, and the Parish of Sussex elected to keep the status quo. Only 433 people voted in favour of incorporation.

Proponents at the time said a municipality would give people in the LSDs control over their property tax rate.

However, Armstrong, and the concerned citizens group he founded feared the new governance model would take away their individual input and identity.

But keeping things status quo has left them out of major planning decisions, said Armstrong, the most recent oversight being a property tax increase to assist the struggling PotashCorp Civic Centre.

In New Brunswick, individual municipalities and rural communities determine local property tax rates during their annual budget process.

But it's up to the provincial government to determine the local property tax rate to be levied on property within individual LSDs.

Local service districts are unincorporated areas and have advisory committees. The local government minister is ultimately responsible for all local decisions.

A rural community is not quite a town but something more than a local service district with a mayor and council members.

Armstrong says residents seem to be more receptive to moving in that direction this time.

'No consultation'

"Anything I consider that is a cost put on our tax bills should go to the people and allow them the opportunity to vote on it, and that's not the case," he said.

"With the [civic centre] another cent-and-a-half was imposed on us with no consultation whatsoever and no right to vote.

"We aren't against the wellness centre, but people, if their money is going to be spent, should have the right to choose," Armstrong said.

'Major tax base'

"We know we have the tax base for it," he said of the potential community that would completely surround Sussex and Sussex Corner.

Armstrong said taxes shouldn't be a concern in the debate.

"We have a major tax base, and that's without the mine in Penobsquis that just closed," he said.

"That's been reduced, and we still have about a $741 million tax base."

A meeting for LSD representatives and residents will be held at the Penobsquis fire hall on Wednesday, March 28 at 6 p.m.

A provincial representative will be on hand to explain the criteria for forming a rural community, and how it would operate.

Armstrong said he hopes to have everything in place in time for the next municipal elections in 2020.