Nova Scotia’s 22 villages are fighting a plan that would see them abolished as part of controversial recommendations for municipal government reform under consideration by the McNeil government.

Louis Benedict is chairperson of the Port Williams Village Commission and says his community is no basket case.

“I’m very proud of our village,” he said.

The village of 1,000 is in good shape financially with 95 per cent brand new infrastructure, according to Benedict. But the future of Port Williams and every other village is in doubt if the province adopts a municipal reform plan.

On Friday, dozens of municipal politicians and staff were in Wolfville for the final briefing in a province-wide tour.

The report has not been adopted, but it is part of a larger move to slim down.

Dave Corkum is the mayor of the Town of Kentville and says it’s tough for villages.

“Villages are a fourth layer of government. In the report they are recommending villages eventually be phased out," he said.

Villages have until mid-December to reply

The options being considered are a merger or becoming a town outright, something New Minas was already considering according to Ken Pineo, Village of New Minas commissioner.

“With our commercial tax base we have a good foundation to work towards that goal,” he said.

All the villages represented at Friday’s meeting insist they are not the problem and oppose forced dissolution says Brian Banks, commission chair, Village of Greenwood.

“We were blindsided by this proposal to abolish,” he said. “We find there's very little data to support their rationale.”

The villages have until mid-December to reply.

The McNeil government has not accepted any of the 41 recommendations currently under review by municipalities and says it will respond early next year.