Government in the Halifax Regional Municipality

Infobox City
official_name = Halifax Regional Municipality
other_name = (HRM)
native_name =
nickname = The City of Trees, City of Lakes (Dartmouth)
motto = "E Mari Merces"spaces|2(Latin) "From the Sea, Wealth"

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imagesize = 230px
image_caption = Halifax, Nova Scotia




mapsize = 225px
map_caption = Halifax Regional Municipality and communities.
flag_size = 100px
image_

seal_size =
image_shield = HalifaxCOA.gif
shield_size = 100px
image_blank_emblem = Halifaxregionlogocolour.gif
blank_emblem_size = 120px
map_caption =
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Canada
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Nova Scotia
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
subdivision_type3 =
subdivision_name3 =
subdivision_type4 =
subdivision_name4 =
government_type = Regional Municipality
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Peter Kelly
leader_title1 = Governing body
leader_name1 = Halifax Regional Council
leader_title2 = MPs
leader_name2 = Collapsible list
title = List of MPs
title_style =
frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
list_style = text-align:left;display:none;
1 = Alexa McDonough
2 = Geoff Regan
3 = Michael Savage
4 =Peter Stoffer
5 =Gerald Keddy
leader_title3 = MLAs
leader_name3 = Collapsible list
title = List of MLAs
title_style =
frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
list_style = text-align:left;display:none;
1 = Barry Barnet
2 = Keith Colwell
3 = Darrell Dexter
4=Bill Dooks
5=Howard Epstein
6=Bill Estabrooks
7=Len Goucher
8=Maureen MacDonald
9=Joan Massey
10=Marilyn More
11=Percy Paris
12=Leonard Preyra
13=Michele Raymond
14=Graham Steele
15=Brooke Taylor
16=Diana Whalen
17=Dave Wilson
18=Trevor Zinck
leader_title4 =
leader_name4 =
established_title = Established
established_date = April 1, 1996
established_title2 =
established_date2 =
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
area_magnitude =
unit_pref =
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 5490.90
area_land_km2 =
area_water_km2 =
area_total_sq_mi = 2120.05
area_land_sq_mi =
area_water_sq_mi =
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 = 262.65
area_urban_sq_mi = 101.41
area_blank1_title = Rural
area_blank1_km2 = 5528.25
area_blank1_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
blank_name = Total Coastline
blank_info = 400 km (250 mi)
blank1_name = Total private dwellings
blank1_info = 166,675
blank2_name = NTS Map
blank2_info = 011D13
blank3_name = GNBC Code
blank3_info = CBUCG
population_as_of = 2007
population_footnotes =
population_note =
settlement_type = Regional Municipality
population_total = 385,500 [http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo05a.htm]
population_density_km2 = 67.9
population_density_sq_mi =
population_metro = 407,007
population_density_metro_km2 =
population_density_metro_sq_mi =
population_urban = 282,924
population_density_urban_km2 = 1077.2
population_density_urban_mi2 =
population_blank1_title = Rural
population_blank1 = 89755
population_density_blank1_km2 = 16.23
population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
population_blank1_title = Demonym
population_blank1 = Haligonian
timezone = AST
utc_offset = -4
timezone_DST = Atlantic Daylight Saving Time
utc_offset_DST = -3
latd=44 |latm=51 |lats=16 |latNS=N
longd=63 |longm=11 |longs=57 |longEW=W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_min_ft = 0
elevation_max_ft = 475.6
postal_code_type =
postal_code =
area_code = 902
website = [http://www.halifax.ca www.halifax.ca]
footnotes =

The Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada, is governed by a mayor (elected at large) and a twenty-three person Regional Council, who are elected by geographic district; municipal elections occur every leap year.

The Halifax Regional Council has also established smaller "community councils" wherein three or more councilors from a geographic area agree to form these councils to deal primarily with local development issues. Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council.

The Halifax Regional Council has responsibility for the Halifax Regional Police Department, the Halifax Public Library (formerly, the Halifax Regional Library), the Halifax Fire and Emergency, Halifax Regional Water Commission, Metro Transit, parks and recreation, public works and waste management.

Emergency services

Two areas of contention during the post-amalgamation years have been in the areas of police and fire services.

Police services

Halifax Regional Police is an amalgamation of the municipal forces from the City of Halifax, City of Dartmouth, and Town of Bedford. Areas that were formerly part of the Municipality of the County of Halifax were policed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) under a provincial policing contract.

Since amalgamation, HRP has been restricted to patrolling the former cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the Sambro loop and the town of Bedford, while the RCMP provide rural policing services as well as highway traffic enforcement. Jurisdictional boundaries have been relaxed in recent years, allowing more integration between both forces to allow for better coverage and response.

Fire services

Unlike policing services, Halifax Fire and Emergency (HRFE) is an amalgamation of all fire departments in Halifax County. This created some controversy in rural areas where predominantly volunteer fire companies were being stripped of equipment and trucks which local communities had fund-raised for during the pre-amalgamation period; this equipment was being relocated to service the urban core. This has since been halted, although there is still some tension between the professional paid HRFE members in the urban core and their volunteer rural counterparts.

Municipal budget

Since its creation, rapid property value increases have resulted in HRM's budget growing to $589 million in 2005/06, up from $439 million in 1996. This has allowed HRM to proceed with major capital projects such as an extension of municipally-supplied water to Fall River, breaking ground on the new sewage treatment system (called the Harbour Solutions project), and establishment of Metrolink, a bus rapid transit system.

Federal representation

The Halifax Regional Municipality is represented by the following federal ridings:

Community of Halifax
* Halifax
* Halifax West

Dartmouth Area
* Dartmouth—Cole Harbour

Bedford Area
* Halifax West

Rest of the Municipality
* Halifax West
* Sackville—Eastern Shore
* Central Nova
* Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley
* South Shore—St. Margaret's

Provincial representation

In the last three provincial elections over 50% of the population of HRM who voted, has voted for the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP), placing the region's voters outside the mainstream of provincial politics in outlying more rural areas which are split between a Liberal/Conservative voting pattern. It can be argued that HRM's recent voting pattern has actually placed the provincial (and federal) NDP or social democratic politics in general, into the political mainstream for the province.

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