A last-ditch effort to put off the sale of St. Patrick’s-Alexandra school was quashed at Halifax regional council on Tuesday.

Last week, council voted to sell the property to Jono Developments, but to make the sale official, it needed a week to repeal the HRM policy on selling surplus schools.

However, at yesterday’s meeting Coun. Dawn Sloane asked council to defer the issue and not throw out the current policy, even though city staff have never really followed it since its installation 11 years ago.

“How can we have integrity if we don’t follow our own policy?” Sloane said.

The councillor was also concerned about two schools in West Chezzetcook and Cole Harbour that were tied in with the St. Pat’s request for proposals.

Staff said there were no qualified bids for the West Chezzetcook elementary school, but there were some for the Gordon Bell Building.

The winning bid will be brought before council over the next few weeks.

Coun. Jennifer Watts, one of a minority of councillors who agreed with Sloane, said the money from the sale would go into a land reserve to help pay for projects such as a stadium, instead of supporting the St. Patrick’s-Alexandra community.

“In these issues, all I can say at the end of the day is follow the money,” Watts said.

In the end, council defeated Sloane’s motion to hold off the sale and improve the policy by a vote of 17-7.

Councillors instead voted 15-8 to repeal the policy and make the sale of St. Pat’s to the developer official.