Mayor Cecil Clarke hopes for smoother budget consultations

Cape Breton Regional Mayor Cecil Clarke wantspublic budget consultations tobe more focused than last year and more information will be offered up front.

At the beginning of the sessions, he said, staff will deliver updates on various budget items. Then they will open up the floor for feedback and questions on issues such as taxes and water rates.

"We'll also be looking at our recreation master plan and where that is going and how it may affect the budget," the mayor said.

The consultations will also begin earlier.

Last fiscal year, the sessions began in February and many had to be postponed because of bad weather. This time, they begin this month. The municipality has posted a schedule on its website.

This year, Clarke hopes to have several under his belt before winter.He said the earlier meetings will givehim time for more meetings with special interest groups.

"It's going to allow us in January and February, leading up to the budget, to do more stakeholder groups, such as the CFIB, our contracting community, our youth," he says.

The first of 12public consultations takes placeSaturday in Whitney Pier.

They will concludeNov.23in Albert Bridge.