TRURO, NS
A road preservation tax has been implemented to raise funds to repair streets in the Town of Truro.
During the April 9 meeting, which saw the general operating and general capital budget for 2018-19 passed, council voted to bring in a 4.25 cent tax to residential property owners and a 3.75 cent tax to commercial property owners. This means residents would be paying an extra $42.50 per $100,000 in assessment.
“One of the number one concerns for citizens is the condition of town roads,” said Truro Mayor Bill Mills. “As with many other towns we struggled with how to address this issue. Understandably, further taxing property owners is never the ideal solution. By using the funds generated to directly improve the condition of our streets we are hopeful property owners may be more accepting, especially when they begin to see results.”
The capital budget has been set at $1,852,945.
The general operating budget increased two per cent over 2017-18, to $28,237,804.
Because commercial property assessments decreased during the 2018-19 year, the commercial tax rate will increase by $0.02, up to $4.50 per $100 of assessment. There are no changes in the residential property tax rate.
The sewer charge, which was introduced in 2016-17, will increase by $0.07. Deputy Mayor Tom Chisholm said this will help cover operating and capital repayment expenses, as well as upgrades to sewer infrastructure and the treatment plant.