The wheels of democracy inched ever so slowly towards lowering speed limits in Halifax last night.
But only after three HRM councillors walked out in frustration during the lengthy debate.
It started innocently, with Clayton Park West Coun. Mary Wile proposing council with a motion to lower speed limits in school zones to 30 km/h.
But the municipality can’t do that alone. So the motion was changed to writing a letter to the province asking for permission to lower the speed limits — maybe.
That was deemed too forward by some councillors, who instead proposed to have staff talk informally with the province about the possibility of writing a letter to them about the speed limit issue.
As the motion dove farther into bureaucratic limbo and amendments were piled onto amendments, councillors began to argue over not only the motion, but what the motion even meant. Dartmouth Centre Coun. Gloria McCluskey, Middle and Upper Sackville-Lucasville Coun. Brad Johns and Albro Lake-Harbourview Coun. Jim Smith stormed off in exasperation.
But eventually council decided to send the letter after all.
