Amalgamation plebiscites underway in 2 regions of N.B.

Voters in two parts of New Brunswick are casting ballots on municipal mergers today.

In Sussex and Sussex Corner, residents are voting on whether to amalgamate the town and the village.

And northwest of Edmundston, people are voting in the villages of Clair, Baker Brook, Lac Baker, St. Francois and St.Hillaire, and in several local service districts.

They're deciding whether to create a single rural community with its own municipal council.

• Sussex and Sussex Corner amalgamation vote heats up

• Sussex, Sussex Corner consider amalgamating

In the Sussex area, the amalgamation debatehas been contentious.

"Oh, infighting, you know not very much respect for each other, can't decide on anything," said Mitch Alexander, from Sussex Corner, last week.

Alexander hasbeen going to meetings to see what joining Sussex will mean to his community, and was pleased with the presentations.

"Very well done, they had lots of charts up on the walls, and they'd take you around and show you exactly what they could show you what would be happening if we amalgamated."

But he saidthis fall, the infighting at council started. He was so frustrated he wrote a letter to the local paper,which isalso following the saga.

One silver lining is thatthe controversy around amalgamation has increased interest at the polls.

Denis Pinet,the elections clerk for the plebiscite, after working the advanced polls, said,"If advance polls are any indication we'll have a higher turnout than we normally, usually get with a municipal election."

The Monday night results will tell the story. Polls close at 8 P.M.