Proposed $8M town hall project in rural N.B. community prompts comparison to Taj Mahal

A controversy has developed in the newly amalgamated community of Sunbury-York South over plans for a new municipal building.

Opposition erupted after a move by council to ask the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board, a provincial government entity, for pre-approval to borrow up to $8 million for the project, located in a community south of Fredericton.

A meeting to hear public input was to take place Tuesday, however, the application was withdrawn Friday, said Mayor David Hayward.

At that point, many people in the community had already expressed anger and concern about it online.

The dollar figure prompted some residents to liken the proposed structure to the Taj Mahal and to worry about the impact on their taxes.

While acknowledging that a new building would likely cause taxes to increase, Hayward said his belief is that much of the opposition has been based on misinformation.

"It was never anyone's intention to build an $8-million building for four staff," he said, describing that notion as "absurd."

"That would outrage anyone, and I can certainly understand people's frustrations with that," he said.

What is actually being considered is a building that may incorporate additional facilities or services, he said.

A new fire hall, for example, might be worth the extra tax dollars if it results in savings on insurance, he suggested.

There is no office space available in Sunbury-York South, said Hayward, noting it's currently renting municipal offices in Oromocto. 

Objections to the size of the new building are also premature, said Hayward, as no plans have been drawn up.

It could end up being a lot cheaper to build than the $8-million approval sought from the borrowing board, he added, likening the process to getting pre-approved for a mortgage before house shopping.

"It seemed a little bit over the top to just land us with $8-million worth of debt without having more consultation about it," said resident Jeanne Clarke-Walker, who first learned of the plan a few weeks ago, after someone shared an article about it on social media.