CBRM Council asks for provincial audit of its finances

The council of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality has unanimously passed a motion asking for a provincial audit of the municipality's finances.

District 2 Coun. Earlene MacMullinproposed the motion at the end ofTuesday's regular council meeting.

"I would like it to be very, very comprehensive," she said. "I would like no question left unanswered."

MacMullin said she made the decision to ask for the audit after the municipality held its lengthy budget discussions.

"Money is quite tight and we've been yelling a lot lately as a council in regards to equalization," she said.

Some voters in the Cape Breton Regional Municipalitybelieve the municipality is being short-changed by the provincial governmentas it chooseshow to distribute equalization payments from the federal government.

MacMullinsaid she hopes an audit will clarify that issue.

Money's tight

"I want [the provincial government]to see what money we have coming in," she said. "I want them to know where it's going. I want them to know that we're doing the absolutely best that we can with the money that we have available.

"And when they do that,I hope they'll have suggestions on things we can do differently, or that they actually will see that the funding formula is incorrect and we need more help."

Regional Mayor Cecil Clarke said this isn't the first time the municipality has requested a provincial audit.

He asked for one shortly after he was elected mayor in 2014 but was refused.

"The answer was simple that, 'No, we're not going to do it,'" said Clarke. "The government, the minister of the day, the department would not entertain doing an organizational or any other level of audit.

"There was no reason given other than they didn't feel one was necessary."

Seeking transparency

MacMullinis hopeful an audit wouldshed light onother questions, too.

"There has been a lot of questions from people in the public in regards to travel allowances, spending and different contractors and business proposals," she said.

"This is just a way I think to show some transparency and clear the air and start building that trust back with the community."

Clarke saidhe welcomes a full financial audit.

"We are totally open to the government reviewing the finances of the CBRM," he said.

"The request reflects the frustration at the council level about trying to get our story understood and always coming back and forth through process but not dealing with outcomes."