Municipal
Cape Breton Regional Council
Governs Cape Breton
Official website (cbrm.ns.ca) Report a problem with this page
Source: cbrm.ns.ca, checkedAt a glance
What it's for
A Nova Scotia municipal council provides services, facilities and other things it considers necessary or desirable for all or part of the municipality. The law sets its purposes as good government and safe and viable communities.
Municipal Government Act, s. 9A · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)
What it can't do
A by-law must not be inconsistent with a law of Nova Scotia or of Canada.
Municipal Government Act, s. 171(2) · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)
Who it answers to
Council members are elected under the Municipal Elections Act. Most borrowing needs the approval of the provincial minister.
Municipal Government Act, ss. 10, 11, 88 and 91 · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)
Where its money comes from
Mostly property taxes: each year council sets its budget estimates and authorizes commercial and residential tax rates on assessed property.
Municipal Government Act, ss. 72 and 73 · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)
Shares responsibility with
Works with the provincial government, whose laws its by-laws must be consistent with and whose minister approves most borrowing.
Municipal Government Act, ss. 88 and 171 · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)
Next vote
- General election · Councillor · District 10
- General election · Councillor · District 9
- General election · Councillor · District 2
- General election · Councillor · District 6
- General election · Councillor · District 5
- General election · Councillor · District 7
- General election · Councillor · District 11
- General election · Councillor · District 3
- General election · Councillor · District 12
- General election · Councillor · District 8
- General election · Councillor · District 1
- General election · Councillor · District 4
- General election · Mayor
Who sits on it
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Mayor
Elected by everyone in Cape Breton
Cecil Clarke
Mayor · since October 2024
Most recent election, October 19, 2024.
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Deputy Mayor
Chosen by the council from among its members
Glenn Paruch
Deputy Mayor
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12 councillors
Elected
See every Councillor and their riding, or look up an address to find yours.
Most recent election, October 19, 2024.
iSourced · checked : show the source for each fact
Sources for who sits on it
- Mayor cbrm.ns.ca · checked
- Cecil Clarke as Mayor cbrm.ns.ca · checked
- Deputy Mayor nslegislature.ca · checked
- Glenn Paruch as Deputy Mayor cbrm.ns.ca · checked
- Councillor cbrm.ns.ca · checked
What it can do
- General municipal purposes and services
Provides good government and the services, facilities and other things council considers necessary or desirable for all or part of the municipality, and develops and maintains safe and viable communities (Municipal Government Act s. 9A).
- By-laws
Makes by-laws for the health, well-being, safety and protection of people, nuisances, animals, local business licensing and similar local matters, and enforces them with fines (Municipal Government Act Part VII, ss. 171-172).
- Property tax and rates
Sets the property tax rates on assessed property each year, plus area rates and uniform charges for services in part of the municipality (Municipal Government Act ss. 72-75). Assessments are made by Property Valuation Services Corporation.
- Planning and land use
Adopts the municipal planning strategy and land-use by-law, approves development agreements and issues development permits (Municipal Government Act Part VIII, ss. 190-237).
- Policing
Provides policing for the municipality through a municipal police service or a contract with the RCMP (Municipal Government Act s. 54; Police Act).
- Borrowing
Borrows money for capital purposes within limits set by the Minister of Municipal Affairs (Municipal Government Act ss. 66, 84-91).
iSourced · checked : show the source for each fact
Sources for what it can do
- General municipal purposes and services nslegislature.ca · checked
- By-laws nslegislature.ca · checked
- Property tax and rates nslegislature.ca · checked
- Planning and land use nslegislature.ca · checked
- Policing nslegislature.ca · checked
- Borrowing nslegislature.ca · checked
Sources
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Council page of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (official website https://cbrm.ns.ca/). For: Cape Breton Regional Council
- nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, s. 9A. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: What it's for
- nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, s. 171(2). Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: What it can't do
- nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, ss. 10, 11, 88 and 91. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Who it answers to
- nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, ss. 72 and 73. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Where its money comes from
- nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, ss. 88 and 171. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Shares responsibility with
- nslegislature.ca · checked Ticket 261: name changed from "Purposes and services" to "General municipal purposes and services"; wording only, description unchanged. (Per-row copy of bulk note 445746, by improvements:source-integrity.) For: General municipal purposes and services
- nslegislature.ca · checked municipal: Municipal powers as cited in the description (statute consolidated to 2026). For: General municipal purposes and services, By-laws, Property tax and rates, Planning and land use, Policing, Borrowing
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Municipal Government Act ss. 11, 12(8); Municipal Elections Act s. 10. Mayor listed on the council page. For: Mayor
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Seat count: polling districts in Nova Scotia Open Data gcep-xeci; Municipal Government Act s. 10; Municipal Elections Act s. 10. For: Councillor
- nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act (Nova Scotia) s. 16 Deputy mayor or deputy warden (consolidated to 2026-04-09). For: Deputy Mayor
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current mayor on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Cecil Clarke as Mayor
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB01 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Gordon MacDonald as Councillor, District 1
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB10 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Paul Nickituk as Councillor, District 10
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB11 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Darren O'Quinn as Councillor, District 11
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB12 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Kim Sheppard-Campbell as Councillor, District 12
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB02 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Earlene MacMullin as Councillor, District 2
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB03 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Esmond "Blue" Marshall as Councillor, District 3
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB04 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Steve Gillespie as Councillor, District 4
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB05 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Eldon MacDonald as Councillor, District 5
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB06 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Glenn Paruch as Councillor, District 6
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB07 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Steve Parsons as Councillor, District 7
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB08 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Steven MacNeil as Councillor, District 8
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB09 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Dave MacKeigan as Councillor, District 9
- cbrm.ns.ca · checked post named in the note of term 29421; source as recorded for that term: municipal: Listed as current councillor for CB06 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Glenn Paruch as Deputy Mayor
- nslegislature.ca · checked municipal: Municipal Elections Act ss. 2, 10 (consolidated to 2025-10-03): ordinary polling day the third Saturday in October in 2000 and every fourth year; nomination day the second Tuesday in September. For: General election, October 21, 2028