Liverpool taxes rise on reduced budget

“In order to look forward to the future with certainty we have to continue to invest particularly in capital works,” said Mayor John Leefe, “capital works that will result in a healthier community and healthier environment and which will be attractive to investment.”

The total operating budget is $16.35-million.

This year’s budget has been reduced, in part, through decreased expenditures associated with the Second Generation Landfill, said Director of Finance, Kathleen Rafuse.

Mayor Leefe described the upcoming year as mixed with opportunity and challenge.

He noted they were able to avoid a major tax rate hike in 2006 when an agreement with Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited expired but that this year has new fiscal challenges.

Assessment capping this fiscal year reduces the Region of Queens Municipality’s assessment by $38.4-million, which equals five cents on the tax rate, he told council.

The required education tax to the South Shore Regional School Board has increased by $107,656, which is a result of a $75-million increase in the uniform assessment from last fiscal year.

“It is interesting to note that within the operating budget the highest budget areas include education, which is a levy over which we have no control; the province sets that,” the mayor explained, “and of the 85 cents in the base rate for the Region of Queens it represents 20 cents of that 85 cents.”

The Region of Queens had their equalization grant from the provincial government reduced because of last year’s Nova Scotia Power increased injection, he continued.

The capital budget totals $5.04-million with $2.5-million allocated for Queens Place, $660,000 for associated land acquisitions and $510,500 for the sewer and water project in Brooklyn.

The completion of Crowell Street will cost $143,765 this fiscal year.

Other capital costs ranging from street upgrades to EMO services are included as well.

“It’s very important to note that of this over $5-million in capital projects, we do not anticipate we will have to do any borrowing to cover the costs,” stated Mayor Leefe. The vast majority of the capital budget is covered by Region Reserve transfers and funding from other levels of government.

The tax rates for the 2008/2009 fiscal year are as follows.

The residential-resource tax rate for districts one through twelve is unchanged at 88 cents, meaning only property owners with assessment increases will pay more taxes.

The commercial-business occupancy tax rate through districts one to twelve is $1.91, up five cents from last year. The business occupancy tax is being reduced each year. The seasonal commercial tax rate is $1.44.

In District 13, the former Town of Liverpool, the residential tax rate has risen two cents to $1.85 and the commercial/business occupancy tax rate is $2.88, up seven cents.

The reason for the two-cent increase in the District 13 tax rate is because of “long term borrowing for improvements for the community of Liverpool,” said Rafuse.

Other expenditures include $1.6-million for General Government Services, nearly $2.9-million for Solid Waste Management and Policing will cost $1.6-million. The Economic Development and Tourism/Airport budget is $675,000.

“It’s a good budget,” declared Mayor Leefe. “It’s one that is designed to drive the community forward, it’s one that says to the people of the Region of Queens and to those beyond our boundaries that we’re alive and well and we’re determined to continue growing and to continue to effect quality of change here in the Region of Queens.”