The Town of Lunenburg approved its 2022/23 Budget during this week’s council meeting, which includes an Operating Budget of $8,697,500 and a Capital Budget of $13,875,110.
Homeowners will be pleased to hear residential tax rates are unchanged, remaining at $1.376 per $100/assessment.
Commercial rates are increasing to $3.358 per $100/assessment, an increase of $0.04, however in reality it is a return to the normal rate as commercial rates were lowered temporarily for the past two years in response to the pandemic.
Mayor Matt Risser commented, “The budget is both a balanced budget and a responsive budget that addresses key strategic priorities and invests in our community and our people.”
The town says this year’s budget aims to address six key themes which they outlined with the budget’s release.
- Implementing the Comprehensive Community Plan – The CCP is the town’s long-term planning framework that aims to facilitate the town’s growth while maintaining the culture and heritage that residents of Lunenburg have come to love. The biggest spending item in this category is $2,661,900 for upgrades to the wastewater system. However, the town’s plans are dependent on the federal government covering 73.3 per cent of the project’s cost, with applications for the funds through the Canada Infrastructure Program currently being processed.
- Planning for the Future – The town says they are earmarking some money for use down the line. Specifically, they have reserved funds for the development of a “disposal of Town assets” policy, a parking study that considers pedestrianization and accessibility, GIS mapping of underground infrastructure, and accessibility improvements to recreation facilities.
- Building Capacity – A broad category that encompasses many aspects of the town’s operations that are in need of expansion to facilitate further growth.
- Recovering from COVID-19 – The town is going to resume investments in recreation and in-person events that were largely shut down throughout the pandemic. As well the town intends to continue improving its green spaces like parks and trails to help continue the increased usage that has been seen throughout the pandemic.
- Responding to Economic Realities – No major spending is listed under this category but rather the town identified upcoming issues that may cause financial strain, most notably in relation to the RCMP. The town says they expect policing costs to rise by as much as 20% for federal salary adjustments with no change in service. Currently, RCMP and Education transfers make up 30.9% of the Town’s Operating Budget.
- Improving Infrastructure – Further upgrades to the town’s infrastructure (excluding the wastewater project) which include; street reconstruction projects on Duke and Prince Streets, the replacement and widening of the Green Street sidewalk, and the new construction of a Tannery Road sidewalk along the sea wall side.
The town intends to release a document showing the budget highlights in the near future, in which previous years they have outlined specific line items in the budget and big-ticket items.
