Cumberland municipal council is urging Premier Tim Houston to reconsider increasing the non-resident deed transfer tax if not for the whole province at least in Cumberland County.
“The recent announcement by your government to increase non-resident deed transfer tax from five per cent to 10 per cent increases, rather than reduces, barriers to inter-provincial and intra-regional relationships,” Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy said. “If it is implemented as scheduled it will depress real estate values and assessment, but more importantly, and of more concern, it will send a message to our neighbours that perhaps we're not all in this together.”
Mayor Gilroy said council is supportive of efforts to facilitate inter-provincial trade and commerce and it’s delighted to see the premier take a lead role in the national conversation amongst his colleagues to do this.
“In this environment of isolationist policy making on the part of the U.S. government and the resulting global trade war, it's critical that our province does what it can to develop new markets and reduce the trade restrictions on existing domestic markets for our goods and services,” the mayor said.
Saying that, the mayor said with Cumberland County’s geographic location next door to both New Brunswick and P.E.I,. it also supports an unencumbered flow of goods, services and people between Nova Scotia and its closest neighbours.
“Everyday life in Cumberland County includes the integration of procurement of goods and services with our Maritime neighbors with many folks crossing provincial barriers daily to work, shop, play and attend appointments,” the mayor said. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this integration extends to families with many living in one province but owning, or seeking to acquire, seasonal residences in another to be able to vacation or spend time closer to their families.”
