Council roundup: budget 2024 approved, air filter project turned down, and councillor censured
Budget passes, shared services calculations to be reviewed
Tantramar council passed a number of budget resolutions this week, setting capital and operating budget spending as well as tax rates for the municipality.
2024 tax rates for Tantramar, per $1000 of assessed property value
- Former town of Sackville: 1.5389 (down 0.0095 from last year)
- Former village of Dorchester: 1.5415 (down 0.0225 from last year)
- Former Sackville LSD: 0.5625 (0.974 w/ provincial portion, up 0.05 from last year)
- Former Point de Bute LSD: 0.7637 (1.1752 w/ provincial portion, up 0.05 from last year)
- Former Dorchester LSD: 0.6411 (1.0526 w/ provincial portion, up 0.05 from last year)
The slew of motions also included one that commits council to reviewing how it divvies up the fiscal responsibility for some of the services that are deemed ‘shared’. As treasurer Michael Beal explained to council, when the cost of running the municipality is allocated to the different areas, the share covered by former Local Service Districts (LSDs) is calculated at 90 percent, a decision made by the provincial consultant who was hired to create Tantramar’s first budget.
“The shared service model says that as you go further from the central core services, the local service districts should pay less for some of those shared services. The 90% was chosen by the province, and we don’t know why that was chosen,” said Beal.… Continue
Proposed capital budget includes preliminary work on Dorchester fire hall and village office, plus Pickard Quarry trail improvements
Tantramar treasurer Michael Beal presented the town’s proposed 2024 capital budget to council on Monday, recommending $1,515,000 in capital project spending, with another $200,000 put away in reserve. If approved, the total $1.715 million would come from the town’s operating budget, and none would be borrowed.
The proposed capital budget will go before council on Tuesday, along with a $16.7 million operating budget for the town, a $2.7 million utility operating budget, and a $550,000 capital utility budget.
Nearly 50% of the proposed capital budget ($727,000) would be spent by the public works department, on storm sewers, sidewalks, and the purchase of a new loader expected to cost about $410,000. Another $120,000 is set aside to pay a Tantramar share of provincial department of transportation and infrastructure (DTI) funded projects, which may or may not happen, said treasurer Michael Beal. If applications for DTI projects are not successful, then the $120,000 would be reallocated to cover budget overruns or previously delayed project.
The Active Living and Culture department is planning to spend $272,000 on capital projects, including $40,000 for development of a low impact trail in the Pickard Quarry, which the town acquired last year as part of the Lorne Street Stormwater Mitigation Project. There’s also $25,000 for a parking lot on Walker Road near the head of the Tantramar Outdoor Club trails, and another $25,000 for trails in general.
A new Civic Centre compressor, baseball field lights, and improvements for Beech Hill park are also included in the budget.… Continue