Annual Report 2000 - Halifax Regional Municipality

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The CAO’s Message “I am proud to say that we have reached financial stability and fiscal predictability within a very short time. More importantly, we have set our financial course for the future through our Multi-Year Financial Plan, and we will preserve and protect this financial stability through our Business Planning Strategy. ” — Ken Meech, Chief Administrative Officer A s we enter the new millennium, the many challenges that we faced as a result of the amalgamation are behind us now and we can look forward with new confidence and excitement. For the past few years, our primary goal has been to ensure a seamless transition of the delivery of programs and services from the four previous municipal units to our customers–the citizens of the Halifax Regional Municipality. I believe that we have achieved that end and have set standards and service levels that are not only appropriate, but also acceptable, for the many diverse communities throughout our region. Another major goal was to put our financial house in order and we, too, have achieved this. I am proud to say that we have reached financial stability and fiscal predictability within a very short time. More importantly, we have set our financial course for the future through our Multi-Year Financial Plan, and we will preserve and protect this financial stability through our Business Planning Strategy. We have implemented a very aggressive Debt Management Plan and have adopted the “pay as you go” principle for Capital Projects. We continue to receive national and international interest in our Solid Waste Management Strategy, with many municipal officials visiting our stateof-the-art facility at Otter Lake. The municipality’s next major capital project is the $315 million Harbour Solutions Project. Construction is expected to start in the Spring of 2001 and when completed and operating, it will mark the first major environmental saltwater clean-up in the country. Development of a regional plan will be a major focus for the next few years. Citizens of the municipality had the opportunity to tell us the kind of community they would like to see in the next two decades through our recent Vision 20/20 exercise. It is my pleasure to thank the Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce for its tremendous co-operation in this joint effort with HRM. Our economy is booming now and we are seeing unprecedented growth. Economic forecasts predict this will continue for at least the next decade and beyond. Through the regional planning process, we will develop policy and guidelines for such things as: building new infrastructure to meet economic growth; replacement of existing systems; building a transportation network for the future and determining ways to more effectively manage growth. We could not have achieved any of our accomplishments so far without the efforts of our highly-skilled professional workforce. The work has been hard and the pressures have been great. I would like to take this opportunity to extend best wishes to each and every one of our employees and say “thank you” for a job well done. Also, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the citizens of Halifax Regional Municipality. With their continued patience and support, we will continue to strive for excellence and make every effort to preserve, protect and improve our great quality of life in the Halifax Region. Sincerely, Ken Meech 8
Executive Management Team AT he Executive Management Team (EMT) includes the Chief Administrative Officer, Ken Meech, and the Deputy Chief Administrative Officers, George McLellan (left) and Dan English (right). EMT is responsible for providing information, support and guidance to Regional Council; implementing policies and priorities of Regional Council; ensuring the delivery of a balanced budget; and managing and leading the administrative functions of the municipality. Deputy CAO Dan English is responsible for the services of Planning & Development, Parks & Recreation, Public Works & Transportation, Transit, Tourism, Culture & Heritage, Community Projects and Library Services liaison. Deputy CAO George McLellan is responsible for the services of Public Safety, Information Services, Human Resources, Shared Services, Financial Services, Real Estate Services & Facilities Management. HRM Grants Program The Grants Program is a portfolio of programs administered under the auspices of the Office of the Deputy CAO. The programs focus on assistance in social development - providing modest tax exemptions or tax deferrals to low-income homeowners – and community development – providing annual grants to support community non-profit and charitable organizations in a diverse range of community-based programming. Accomplishments These include increased public visibility, increased program participation, and the development of strategic partnerships with other HRM departments, community stakeholders, and government agencies. Special Projects The Special Projects Office coordinates a range of initiatives on behalf of Regional Council and affiliated HRM programs and services. The principle activities of this portfolio address inter-governmental initiatives, policy analysis, applied research, and the management of inter-departmental project teams. Accomplishments These include community consultation and participation in major facilities, including the Dartmouth North Community Center; and significant progress in supporting community initiatives to address the issue of homelessness. 9
Page 1: A nnual Report 2000 1
Page 4 and 5: Profile of Halifax Regional Municip
Page 6 and 7: Council Members 4 th Row: Councillo
Page 10 and 11: Major Initiatives Multi-Year Financ
Page 12 and 13: Major Initiatives Waste Resource Ma
Page 14 and 15: Community Projects C ommunity Proje
Page 16 and 17: Financial Services F inancial Servi
Page 18 and 19: Human Resources The Human Resources
Page 20 and 21: Parks & Recreation Services P arks
Page 22 and 23: Planning & Development Services A s
Page 24 and 25: 24 T Public Safety — RCMP he RCMP
Page 26 and 27: T Public Safety — Fire & Emergenc
Page 28 and 29: T Public Safety — 911 Communicati
Page 30 and 31: Public Works & Transportation Servi
Page 32 and 33: 32 Real Estate Services & Facilitie
Page 34 and 35: Tourism, Culture & Heritage 34 I n
Page 36 and 37: W Solid Waste Resource Services ast
Page 38 and 39: Awards and Recognition Halifax Regi
Page 40: Produced by the HRM Corporate Commu

Annual Report 2000 - Halifax Regional Municipality

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?