The Municipality of Cumberland approved a $38.9 million operating budget at a special Council meeting held today (Wednesday, May 8, 2024) in Upper Nappan.
The municipality continues to face increased costs due to inflation and population growth. Solid waste management costs are up almost $100,0000. Costs for mandatory contributions to education are up $625,000, RCMP policing costs are up $337,000, and salaries and benefits are estimated to cost about $700,000 more than last year.
The fire service continues to be a major priority for the municipality. This year sees the addition of a full-time fire services manager, as the Hub model is implemented, but by far the biggest investment is the transfer of more than $1.2 million to reserves to address capital investment in fire apparatus and buildings. In addition, the municipality is budgeting over $2.7 million in operations and administrative costs related to the fire service. The county is served by 16 volunteer fire departments in 18 locations, housing almost 90 emergency/fire vehicle vehicles. The municipality provides capital and operating support to each department.
Of the over $38.9 million in operating expenditures, almost $13 million are costs mandated by the Province of Nova Scotia, for which the municipality simply sends a cheque to the province. While the new MOU between the province and municipalities has seen the province absorb the costs of housing and corrections, mandatory contributions to education, policing and assessment still amount to about a third of the operating budget.
Property assessments were up this year again, on average about 9.8 per cent. The capped assessment program ensured that those who were eligible only experienced an assessment increase of about 3%. Residential and commercial rates remain at $1.14 and $2.71 respectively. Deed transfer tax rates remain the same as do the area rates in the communities of Springhill and Parrsboro, where taxpayers remain responsible for street and sidewalk maintenance, storm water management and streetlights. Sanitary sewer rates in all areas will rise by 5%.
“The inflationary pressures that we have all experienced these past few years show up in the costs of providing municipal services as well.” Cumberland Mayor Murray Scott said.
“Increases in policing, employee wages, solid waste and mandatory transfers along with the costs of reinvesting in our infrastructure like sanitary sewers, fire stations and fire apparatus and equipment and municipal properties make it challenging to even maintain tax rates. I am pleased that we’ve been able to do that.”
Council also approved a general and water capital budget of just under $15.5 million.
The biggest single project is the replacement of the fire station in Springhill at a cost of $6.1 million funded by Gas Tax, transfers from reserves and about $400,000 in debt. Year 2 of the capital budget also includes a provision for the replacement of the fire station in Parrsboro at an estimated cost of $6 million.
More details on both the operating and capital budgets will be available on our website.