Windsor-West Hants amalgamation deadline looms but is it still needed?

After a year-long reprieve,a deadline is now looming for Windsor, N.S.:Does the town want to move forward with an application to amalgamate with the municipality of West Hants or not?

Even the town's mayor isn't sure Windsor will have the information it needs to make thatdecision before the early February deadline."I tell you, in the next two months, miracles have to start happening," said Anna Allen.

An application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board was madewhen relations between the two municipalities were tense. Joint planning meetings had been suspended and there were heated arguments over local fire services after West Hants decided to drop the Windsor Fire Department and set up its own service.

But after municipal elections in the fall of 2016, Windsor agreed to put the amalgamation process on hold for a year while the two communitiestriedto improve regional co-operation.

The warden of West Hantssaid his municipality has been happy with the results.

"In our opinion, it's been a very successful year," said Abraham Zebian, pointing to cost-sharing for the library, a joint tourismstrategy, a water study and a pledge to support a local rink project.

Allen agrees those examples are good early steps but the Windsor mayorsaid she would have liked to see more collaborationwhen it comes torecreation programs and a committee to handle jointplanning.

And, she said, the town needs clear evidence about the costs and benefits of amalgamation before it can decide to proceed or walk away. Senior staff are working on a report that isexpected to be readylater this month.

"I just hope there's enough meat in them that we can make some soliddecisions," said Allen."If it's weak, the community is going to be split."

For his part, Zebiansaid he is not sure amalgamation is necessary, given the improvement in regional co-operation.But he said he believesthe process canbe successful, noting that the 2015 dissolution of the Town of Hantsport is a great example.

"The town looks beautiful," said Zebian. "The tax rate is stable and we may even be looking at a tax decrease this year."