Nova Scotia·NewNearly all Nova Scotia municipalities are in good financial health according to the latest data, with some towns pulling themselves out of trouble for the first time in years.Only 1 municipality flagged as ‘high risk’ in report for 2022-23, has made improvements since data collectedHaley Ryan · CBC News · Posted: Aug 31, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 30 minutes agoThe town hall for the Town of Middleton in Annapolis County. Middleton was ranked as a moderate fiscal risk in the latest provincial financial report for 2023. (Town of Middleton)Nearly all Nova Scotia municipalities are in good financial health according to the latest data, with some towns pulling themselves out of trouble for the first time in years.The province’s most recent financial indicator report, for 2022-23, said the Cape Breton Regional Municipality was the only one of the 49 municipalities considered “high risk for fiscal instability.”But CBRM did announce this spring it had drastically improved debt-servicing costs, pushing the municipality into a better position.”To hear that everyone’s doing well is absolutely thrilling,” Mayor Pam Mood, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, said Thursday.Mood said although every area is different, and municipal leaders have argued the financial assessment tool is flawed, the report is helpful to make sure things are “on track.”Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood is president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities. (Paul Poirier/CBC)The population spike as a result of people moving into Nova Scotia through the COVID-19 pandemic has also been a “tremendous help” for the tax base of small or rural municipalities, Mood said.Nova Scotia has a population of 1,080,418 as of June, according to Statistics Canada, compared to about 984,100 in the first few months of 2020.In recent reports dating back to 2019, the number of high-risk municipalities — labelled as red — ranged from nine to four.The Town of Middleton was often in that red zone, but the latest report shows the Annapolis Valley municipality has improved and is now considered a “moderate” financial risk.”It’s always nice to have nice things to say, because we’ve been under the gun for a couple of years,” Mayor Gail Smith said Friday.Mayor Gail Smith of the Town of Middleton was elected to the position in the fall 2024 municipal election. (Town of Middleton)Smith said council and municipal staff worked hard to turn things around for the town of about 1,870 people as of the 2021 census.Chief administrative officer Ashley Crocker said the town cut staffing costs, encouraged development and applied for more grants from upper levels of government to help major projects like a new water reservoir.The town also joined forces with other municipalities in Annapolis County to get a grant to hire an economic development officer, Crocker said, which has become her biggest piece of advice for others.”Having dedicated staff to try and work on economic development and figure out how to boost housing developments within small towns, I would say would be a big one,” Crocker said.The town is working through the planning strategy for a 40-hectare piece of land that could see 1,800 people move into the development, Smith said, and a 38-unit apartment building is going up now.”That’s huge. I don’t think there’s been an apartment building built in Middleton for … 60, 70 years, you know. So this is really important,” Smith said.A sign for the Town of Middleton in Annapolis County. (Town of Middleton)The towns of Oxford and Trenton, which were also labelled as high risk in recent years, were considered moderate in the latest report.CBC requested an interview with CBRM staff, but that was declined.The Cape Breton municipality has hired a consultant to conduct an audit of their finances that will also address concerns from the provincial fiscal updates, spokesperson Jenna MacQueen said in an email.That report is expected to be released in the fall.ABOUT THE AUTHORHaley Ryan is the municipal affairs reporter for CBC covering mainland Nova Scotia. Got a story idea? Send an email to haley.ryan@cbc.ca, or reach out on Twitter @hkryan17.
Nearly all N.S. municipalities in healthy financial shape for first time in years
