Halifax has never assessed 96 city buildings, audit finds

Halifax does not know the condition of most of its municipal buildings and equipment, with 96 buildings never assessed and 91 more not reassessed in over a decade, the municipality’s auditor general has found.

The facility management audit by Auditor General Andrew Atherton went to Halifax’s audit and finance committee on Wednesday, Oct. 21, CBC News and CTV News reported. It found the property, fleet and environment department has no adequate facility management plan and relies on informal practices to look after the city’s 359 facilities and more than 7,000 pieces of equipment.

Of the buildings never assessed, 43 are more than 25 years old. The audit warned that without regular checks, significant defects may go undetected, leading to “unexpected replacement costs and safety concerns.”

“Perhaps money is being spent to make a cosmetic repair when something underneath, deeper in that building, is gonna cause us to need to replace it in a year or two,” Atherton told the committee. He said the gaps were “undermining the information that comes to council.”

The audit, which covered April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025, found the year of construction was not recorded for 137 properties. In one case, an emergency repair that was supposed to be done within 30 days took 10 months because staff forgot to tell the contractor. Maintenance was booked on a sprinkler system that did not exist, and warranty information was missing for more than 90 per cent of equipment, which Atherton said likely meant the city paid for repairs a vendor should have covered.

Staff have hired a consultant to assess all municipal facilities over the next five years, and Atherton said his office was told the first round of assessments was finished in July, though it did not verify that.

The municipality accepted all 12 recommendations, which cover planning, oversight and better data. Chief administrative officer Marnie Cluckie said following through is “crucial” for reliable services, safe facilities and responsible use of public money. Management said it will ask for new staff positions in the coming budget.

The audit lands as council weighs rising costs on one of its biggest building projects, the replacement of the Halifax Forum. For more on public finances, see our inflation rates by province.

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