by Cape Breton Regional Mayor Cecil Clarke has issued a personal ultimatum.
Clarke says he’ll quit if his work on port development and capital infrastructure doesn’t translate into a better economy for the CBRM in the next year.
The Mayor made the remarks after his travel expenses were posted on the municipality’s website.
They show Clarke has spent about $73,600 on travel since being elected in October of 2012.
Most of the money comes from the Mayor’s travel budget while $16,000 comes from a separate fund for port development.
Clarke says the CBRM has already benefited from the travel expenses he’s racked up, but he adds if he has not succeeded be this time next year, he will resign.
Clarke says he’s travelled to New York City, Houston, Seattle and Boston on trips related to port development.
Meanwhile Clarke’s expenses are similar to those of former mayor John Morgan.
In fact in 2010-11, Morgan charged taxpayers nearly 9-thousand dollars more for travel than Clarke spent in 2013-14.