Hubtown’s residential tax rate up slightly

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Truro homeowners will see their residential tax rate increase this year by one cent per $100 of assessed value.

The new rate, announced during this week’s town council meeting, is $1.83/$100. The commercial rate is unchanged at $4.48/$100 assessed value.

In approving a budget of $27.4 million, council capped its capital spending for the 2017/18 fiscal year at just over $2 million.

That is down from last year’s capital budget of more than $3 million.

Mayor Bill Mills said council recognizes it has to rebuild the town’s reserves before taking on anymore high-priced projects.

“We’re not going to be as aggressive in some areas as we have in the past,” he told the Truro Daily News. “We realize 100 per cent we can’t continue to go back to the taxpayer for increases so that’s why we’re pulling back.”

Mills acknowledged the town is using about 10 per cent of its operational budget to service debt because of borrowing in recent years for such projects as the new hospital, the library, the Rath Eastlink Community Centre and for cost-sharing on upgrades

to Colchester County’s waste treatment centre.

“We were aware that we were on this road so what we are planning for the next three or four years is to build those reserves back up,” Mills said. “But all other indicators show that we are in pretty good shape.”

Although the budget does include money for one new firefighter, a proposal for a second additional member for the Truro Fire Service was rejected.

Council also opted not to fill the summer police constable position this year, as well deciding not to fill a vacant mechanic’s position for Public Works.

“We are taking the responsible steps,” Mills said. “And, again, it’s not totally unplanned for. We knew sooner or later that we were going to hit this wall. And the responsible thing now is to build the reserves back up.”

The proposed roundabout for McClure’s Mills Road is also not included in this year’s projects, and Mills said the plan is to focus on medium and small projects over the next four years.

“I call them low maintenance but high impact,” he said.

Some of the town’s larger, immediate projects include $905,000 in spending for road work, $179,000 for new Public Works equipment and approximately $133,000 for completion of the skate park.

Mills said council will be putting more than $250,000 into its reserves this year. As well any anticipated surplus from the winter’s snow-clearing budget will also be directed to reserves.