Strategic Plan

St. Mary's, Nova Scotia

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot b6573c9cd917 · verified 2026-06-05 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

St. Mary's 2026 St. Mary's 2026 A A Ten Year Strategic Plan 1 St. Mary's 2026 This document will serve as the new Strategic Plan for the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's. It has been created through input from municipal council, municipal staff and members of the public over the course of several meetings, community conversations including an online survey in 2016. This plan is intended to guide the work of council and staff over the next 10 years in order to establish a collective vision, plan for the future and communicate priorities. It includes five strategic goals each of which are supported by several objectives and strategies. The goals listed in this document are in no particular order of priority and are all considered equally important. An implementation plan will be created by council and staff to give specific direction on how to achieve each strategic goal. Information that was collected during the consultation period will also be incorporated in implementation of the plan. Council and staff are proud to have collaborated with the community and are eager to achieve results in our municipality. Date adopted by Municipal Council: September 12, 2016 2 Municipality of St. Mary's Mission and Vision Mission Statement "A strong, responsible Municipal Government that provides services and leadership through believing in our communities, facilitating growth and development while enhancing our quality of life and preserving the beauty of our surroundings." Vision Statement "Providing a sustainable Municipality in which our citizens are engaged while encouraging viable growth in the community." 3 Values  Safety, Health and Wellness - we promote a safe and healthy environment for all  Cooperation - we encourage partnership with general public, businesses, organizations and other levels of government to achieve success and growth  Transparency - we promote open communication by providing easy access to information  Respect - we embrace diversity and treat everyone with courtesy, equality and fairness  Engagement - we will support and encourage a strong volunteer base and create an atmosphere where citizens feel welcome to provide suggestions and ideas leading to continuous improvement  Financially Responsible - we provide quality services that are affordable and effectively meet the needs of our community now and into the future  Youth - we support quality education, long term planning and opportunities for growth  Quality of Life - we support an attractive place to live, work and play  Natural Environment - The beauty of our environment is unique and should be maintained for citizens and tourism opportunities 4 Strategic Goals Objective (a): To Support a Sustainable and Vibrant Community Strategies: Create an inclusive environment Work toward achieving goals in "Shared Strategy for Advancing Recreation in Nova Scotia" Create a public engagement strategy to improve communications in the municipality Work with community organizations to offer new and improved special events Work with partners to increase level of affordable housing Maintain and enhance municipal facilities Create a youth retention strategy Objective (b): Increase Planning and Economic Development Initiatives Strategies: Update planning documents Collaborate with Eastern Strait Regional Enterprise Network Develop a land use planning pilot project with the Province Objective (c): To Attract Immigrants to Live in St. Mary's Strategies: Explore Federal and Provincial program opportunities for immigration Support community organizations who are self-mandated to resettle immigrants in St. Mary's Goal 1: To Increase Population of St. Mary's by 5% by 2021 5 Objective (a): Create Employment Opportunities through Business Attraction, Expansion and Retention Strategies: Hire an Economic Development Officer for St. Mary's Partner with Nova Scotia Business Inc. and other Provincial and Federal departments Collaborate with Eastern Strait Regional Enterprise Network Continue to strengthen relations with Community Business Development Centre, Career Connections and Guysborough Adult Learning Association Facilitate training opportunities for the public to expand knowledge and skills Increase rural internet connectivity and accessibility Encourage the creation of a Board of Trade Develop a business readiness plan and asset inventory Objective (b): Increase the Ratio of Commercial to Residential Tax Assessment Strategies: Review the assessment roll with intent of confirming appropriate classification Improve communications with Property Valuation Services Corporation Establish methods to engage and attract developers to invest in St. Mary's Goal 2: Increase Commercial Assessment by 5% and Reduce Unemployment Rate by 2026 6 Objective (a): Undertake Regular Review of Programs and Services to Ensure Efficiency and Identify Areas for Improvement. Strategies: Enhance community engagement and communication Conduct comparative analysis of all Municipal programs and services Request regular updates from major mandatory expenses; RCMP, Strait Regional School Board, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, NS Housing Authority, Eastern Region Library Board Conduct an internal evaluation of all municipal programs and services Objective (b): Evaluate and Improve Municipal Infrastructure Strategies: Develop an Asset Management Plan Develop a 10 year capital plan to be reviewed and updated annually Actively seek funding opportunities Objective (c): Improve Internal Operations Effectiveness Strategies: Develop a succession plan Improve staff and council communication Provide training opportunities for staff and council Review and update policies and bylaws Standardize reporting methods for outside Council Committee appointments Initiate regular departmental reporting to council Improve Occupational Health and Safety practices Initiate regular staff meetings and staff performance reviews Objective (d): To Reduce the Reliance on Reserve Funds Strategies: Seek funding opportunities and revenue from other sources Perform long range financial planning Identify opportunities for shared services Review opportunities for growth of assessment base Goal 3: To Achieve Financial and Operational Sustainability 7 Goal 4: Improve recognition of St. Mary's Goal 5: To Be Environmentally Sustainable Objective (a): Increase Tourist Traffic Strategies: Increase and improve welcome and directional signage Increase Eco-Tourism opportunities Coordinate with Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shores (DEANS) to improve Visitors Information Centre Work with local tourist operators Promote local attractions Beautification for St. Mary's Objective (b): Promote St. Mary's Brand to Attract People and Business Strategies: Increase social media and website presence Improve marketing and promotion Objective (a): Obtain balance between economic development while maintaining the environment Strategies: Encourage sustainable use of natural resources Identify and promote the use of vacant farmland Identify alternative energy solutions Implementation of the Active Sherbrooke Work with organizations to maintain healthy ecosystems Utilize land use planning to identify environmentally sensitive areas External Resources Documents - Statistics Canada - St. Mary's Municipality's Financial Conditions Index; NS Department of Municipal Affairs - Property Valuation Services Corporation's 2016 Assessment Roll - Shared Strategy for Advancing Recreation in Nova Scotia - Active Sherbrooke - Land Use By-Law - Municipal Climate Change Action Plan Websites - www.saint-marys.ca - Municipal Government Act: http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/municipal%20government.pdf - Property Valuation Services Corporation: www.pvsc.ca - NS Civic Address File: http://nscaf1.nsgc.gov.ns.ca/civicmain/ - Eastern Strait Regional Enterprise Networks: novascotia.ca/programs/regional-enterprise-networks/ - NS Business Inc.: www.novascotiabusiness.com - Guysborough Adult Learning Association: www.guysboroughlearning.ca/ - Nova Scotia Works: www.careerconnections.ns.ca - RCMP: http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/detach/en/d/376#Sherbrooke - St. Mary's School: www.srsb.ca and www.smeca.srsb.ca - Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal: http://novascotia.ca/tran/ - NS Housing Authority: www.housing.novascotia.ca - Eastern Counties Regional Library: http://ecrl.library.ns.ca/ - Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shore: http://www.threeshoresnovascotia.com/ - Department of Natural Resources: http://novascotia.ca/natr/ 8 www.saint-marys.ca