Inverness County February 2021 Council Meeting

During the February council meeting, Inverness County selected auditor Grant Thornton LLP to conduct the municipality’s fiscal annual audits from 2021 to 2023. The firm had already provided audit services to the municipality in the past.

Councillors also approved new expense, remuneration and hospitality policy. The Municipal Act requires that policy be reviewed after a new council is elected. Changes made to the expense policy have to do with a $200 honorarium available to citizens who join boards and committees. The honorarium has been rarely used in the last few years. Council decided the municipality should raise awareness about the honorarium, so more citizens claim it. 

Remuneration policy amendments have to do with an office rental allowance for councillors. The municipality now offers a monthly $250 contribution to non-profit organizations providing office space to councillors. The funds will be paid every 3 months.

District 1 Councillor Alfred Poirier recently moved his office to Les Trois-Pignons in Chéticamp to take advantage of the policy. Councillor Poirier is available in person on Mondays and Fridays starting at 10:30 am, and also by appointment at 15584 Cabot Trail. His phone number remains the same.

During the February meeting, council also approved the motion oversee that its the dog control by-law be register with the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing and with the Department of Justice so it can be enforced. At the moment, the only way the municipality can deal with dog complaints is to ask owners to respect the bylaw. Registering it with the province would allow Inverness County to issue tickets. 

Once the bylaw is registered, the municipality will ask Victoria County to provide enforcement services. It will also look into hiring a bylaw enforcement officer.