From disputes over bike lanes to development in the Halifax Regional Municipality and its relationship with the province, it has been a busy year for the municipality.
Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore says he’s learned a lot during his first year in the role, but is appreciative of the response he’s received from the community and municipal staff.
“It’s been great, the reception from the community has been very strong, we work with an incredible staff team that are just doing phenomenal work to meet the challenges of a rapidly growing city,” Fillmore said during a sit-down interview at Halifax City Hall.
“I myself have been in a new position for the first time in a decade, so there’s been a lot of change and that takes some getting used to, and I think we’re really getting used to it now and I’m looking forward to a really, really strong 2026 with my council.”
He acknowledges that there was a steep learning curve associated with the position, especially given his 10-year run as MP for Halifax. He notes his role as mayor is much more in line with the work he did as an urban planner with the city before his job with the federal government.
“The issues now are very much on the ground. So this is like back to being a planner again,” he said. “We’ve got extreme pressure to build housing, to build the infrastructure that supports housing. And to make sure that all of our communities are connected with a transit and transportation system that really works and delivers.”
Relationship with councillors
Over the last year, Fillmore has faced a variety of criticisms from his colleagues around the table at Halifax Regional Council, particularly following his motion brought forward to council in June to re-evaluate the All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bikeway Network and pause construction on new bike lanes due to concerns of cost and congestion.
During a long and heated discussion on the motion during the June 11 council meeting, Fillmore’s motion was voted down 12 to five.
What followed from that meeting of council was further discussion about whether Morris Street should be turned into a one-way street to accommodate a two-way bike lane that would connect Lower Water and South Park streets through the bike network.
In response to criticisms and concerns around the table, Fillmore says he feels his relationship with councillors has now found its rhythm.
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“Like any new committee or any new board of governors, which is really what we are right? When you form, you can go through a predictable process of forming, storming, norming and performing is the way that behavioural scientists would describe it. So we did our storming and now we’re norming. And I’m really looking forward to 2026 being a year of performing and I think that’s what they’re what they are looking forward to as well,” he said.
Bike lanes, strong mayors and provincial overreach
With the long summer discussion and debate over the Morris Street bike lane development also came concerns around the strong mayor powers and provincial overreach into municipal affairs. Strong mayor powers give mayors the power to veto bylaws, pass new ones with just one-third of council in favour and hire or fire municipal department heads unilaterally.
Premier Tim Houston announced in September that his government would not implement “strong mayor” powers in the fall sitting of the legislature.
District 9 Coun. Shawn Cleary, at the time, referred to Fillmore as being seen as ‘vacuous and controllable’ by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston.
District 10 Coun. Kathryn Morse raised concerns about what it could mean for democracy if such powers were to come into place.
“It’s really an undemocratic development,” Morse said during a June 16 interview, “because many of HRM’s plans were developed with the public, at public hearings or doing public consultations. So, when the province steps in and overrules, they’re really overruling the residents of HRM.”
On July 16, Houston issued a letter to the municipality threatening to overrule Halifax Regional Council if it decides to go ahead with turning Morris Street one-way to accommodate bike lanes.
On Aug. 5, Halifax council voted in favour of changing course.
Concerns of provincial overreach came to a head again with the Department of Municipal Affairs rejecting HRM’s proposed regional plan in August, and turning the municipality into an interim planning area on Oct. 3.
An amended regional plan was passed in council on Dec. 11.
When it comes to what many councillors have deemed political overreach into municipal affairs, Fillmore said after having conversations with Houston and members of his cabinet, he knows they don’t want to be involved in municipal business. But he adds that he sees pros and cons to them being involved currently.
“The province’s involvement has allowed us to abbreviate some approvals to move through some legislative work more quickly that ultimately is delivering houses faster to people. So that’s the shiny side of the coin. The other side of the coin that might be a little not so shiny for some of my colleagues is the city enjoys their sovereignty and probably would prefer not to have the involvement of the provincial government. I think this is temporary. I think we will get to a place where the provincial government withdraws and allows us to return to our core work,” he said.
Looking back on the summer, Fillmore says one of his biggest regrets was how the discussion and debate around the bike lane network developed.
“It had been my intention to show the community that I am committed to building out the bike network, which I am, but that I was concerned with the cost,” he said.
“The cards were on the table already last summer with it when I brought that motion that the economy is changing, that we’re entering a time of belt tightening, that the federal and provincial governments are doing it, that households are doing and that we need to do it too,” he added, noting the motion District 6 Coun. Tony Mancini later brought forward, asking for a staff report to evaluate the cost of the bike network, was more in line with his goals than how the discussion evolved.
“I think as a new mayor, learning the ropes and levers of this organization, being unable to bring my council colleagues along in that discussion at that time,” he continued.
Looking ahead to 2026
Having campaigned on improving affordability in the municipality, Fillmore says that remains one of his top goals going into 2026 — highlighting his successes in 2025 in keeping the property tax rate flat and pushing Halifax Water to reduce its proposed rate hike.
“We are in an affordability crisis. There’s no question, and we can’t mince words about that,” he said.
Fillmore said he hopes to see Halifax Water operate more efficiently, improve infrastructure and deliver on its projects much faster in the new year, acknowledging that the utility is essential for growth and continued development in the municipality.
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