Halifax gets failing grade for fiscal accountability in national report

CITYnews halifax / By Chris Halef

Halifax scores poorly in municipal fiscal accountability ranking, according to a national think tank.

The C.D. Howe Institute gave Halifax a D grade in a national ranking of fiscal accountability among Canadian municipalities.

The report assessed the timeliness and clarity of city budgets, including whether municipalities conformed to public sector accounting standards.

Researchers say Halifax restated budget projections in its financial statements without explaining variances from its original budget plan. The city also approved its budget after the start of the fiscal year and did not provide sufficient evidence of compliance with public sector accounting standards.

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Calgary, Montreal and Toronto also received D grades.

Richmond, B.C., was the only municipality to earn an A for producing a budget consistent with the standards. Ottawa, Quebec City and Vancouver received A- scores for timely reporting.