The Rural Transportation Report and the JRTA Transportation Plan created both challenges and new opportunities. 

As many already know, I've been actively tracking, and providing community feedback to the

In order to talk about Morris Street, some context is required. I do think it’s important to call out that there is nothing new about this project. Phase 2 of Peninsula South Complete Streets (of which Morris Street is a part) has been complete since 2022, and had full engagement at that time:
https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/peninsula-south-complete-streets

On July 8, Councillor Austin introduced a motion regarding strong mayor powers (link). It was timely and necessary. Rumours about potential changes had been circulating for months—well before the Morris Street controversy—and it was time to seek clarity and formally request that the province consult with HRM before making any changes to our governance structure.

BUDGET:

At the July 8 regional council meeting, we were presented with a staff report on Options and Considerations for the 2026/2027 budget (here). 

The biggest takeaway was the projected 7.5% tax increase due to contractual changes, inflation, and removal of the one-time funding (as a result of reserve spending I wrote about here) based on our current revenue streams.