Regulator rejects Antigonish merger

The 117-year-old town of Antigonish will not be forced to amalgamate with the surrounding county.

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has rejected a proposal for the two municipalities to become one, saying there's not enough public support for a merger.

In fact, the board said in a decision released Monday thatan amalgamation process could lead to more fighting.

The case dates back to 2001, when the Town of Antigonish applied to annex 1,600 hectares from the surrounding county so it could expand.

The Municipality of the County of Antigonish responded that annexation would hurt its tax base and applied for a total merger.

The issue was sent to the utility and review board, and in 2005, the board said people living in the Antigonish area would be better served if the two municipalities amalgamated.

The board also ordered a plebiscite to gauge how residents feel about a merger and promised to consider those results when it made a final decision.

The town appealed the board's decision, arguing it didn't have the jurisdiction to order a merger.

But the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal dismissed that appeal in March.

A plebiscite was held in June, and voters in both the town and the county were asked if they supported amalgamation.

Almost 84 per cent of county voters were in favour of a merger, while 74 per cent of voters in the town were against it.

Voter turnoutoverall was low. Combined, only 45 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots.

"For whatever the reason, the results do not show a high level of interest, by electors collectively, in a change from the status quo," the board said in its report.

The board also said residents in both the town and the county expect their local governments to do a better job of co-operating.

The board estimated that the two governments spent at least $240,000 in taxpayers' money over the past decade fighting over the issue.