Vice-chair of Halifax council review quits

Efforts to revamp the Halifax regional council could be in trouble.

One member of the eight-person committee set up to recommendreforms has resigned and another is questioning whether any change is possible.

A review has been underway since 2009.

Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit, who was the vice-chairman of the committee,said he stepped down because he doesn't see any political will to significantly reduce the number of councillors.

Outhit believes council shouldcomprise between 15 and 18 districts, down from the current 23. He said a smaller council would be more efficient and effective.

"You would have the council acting more like a board of directors, where you would come together to deal with the big issues," he said.

But he said many of his municipal colleagues are not willing to endorse the cuts.

"We basically have councillors there voting to some extent on their own future, which is protectionist and a little bit of parochial thinking," he said.

Coun. Reg Rankin said he also has doubts about the process.

"You know, it's a curious thing to put us in charge of this exercise councillors," he said. "It's certainly in their interests, a number of them, to maintain their jobs, maintain the status quo."

The committee will make a recommendation to the council by the end of June. A final proposal on district boundaries and council size will be submitted to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board by the end of the year.

The board will then make a decision in time for municipal elections in 2012.

There have been two other reviews in the past eight years, but the regional council has maintained the status quo of 23 districts.