On today’s show, we hear about the proposed $18 million operating budget for the municipality of Tantramar, and the tax increases that are proposed to fund it.
Property owners in Sackville and Dorchester will see tax bill increases on par with their property assessment numbers this year, but in the former local service districts, residents will get a double whammy. In addition to increased property assessments, LSD residents will also pay a higher tax rate, as part of the continued implementation of the provincial amalgamation process.
Councillor Barry Hicks voiced some of the frustrations he expects to hear from LSD constituents, as their rate increases again this year with no matching increase in services, something that treasurer Michael Beal says is an intentional effect of amalgamation.
Plus in news briefs, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has told CBC that the provincial will launch an investigation into unexplained neurological conditions in the new year, and three candidates are vying for a vacant seat on the Strait Shores municipal council.
