No change in tax rates in 2022-23 budget
TRURO, N.S. - Colchester County is holding the line on tax rates in its $35-million budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which focuses on spending for infrastructure and economic development programs.
Residential property tax rates in Colchester County will remain the same at 88.5 cents per $100 of assessment, and commercial rates are steady at $2.28 per $100 of assessment.
In a news release, the municipality touted its municipal tax rates as being among the lowest in the province.
“The cost of living has been rising at an alarming rate," said Municipality of Colchester Mayor Christine Blair. "Council is aware of the financial pressure this has been putting on our residents. Although our municipality is facing similar rising costs, we were determined to do our best to avoid an increase in our tax rates. I am pleased to announce that we achieved just that.”
The budget includes money for economic programs, including rural broadband internet, the Debert business park and airport, the Fundy Discovery Site, the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark and partnerships with the Truro Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity and the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.
The municipality did not include funding to repair provincially owned J-class roads in the county, noting that most council members were opposed to paying to fix roads not owned by the municipality.
Policing costs for the municipality leaped by about 11 per cent in the budget, contributing to the total 5.4 per cent increase in required mandatory payments to the province, which totalled nearly $15.7 million. The payments cover services like schools, housing, libraries, assessment services, corrections and policing.
Blair added that the budget includes continued funding for community organizations through the county's not-forprofit grant programs.
“It is rewarding to support the many community groups providing such important services and facilities across our municipality," said Blair. "This support is especially needed as organizations aim to bounce back from the challenges of the past two years."