The residential tax rate in the county is staying the same but the commercial rate went down.
Amtigonish County Warden Owen McCarron (Antigonish County Muncipality photo)
Last night, council for the Municipality of the County of Antigonish voted keep the residential tax rate at 88 cents per $100 of assessment while the new commercial tax rate is $1.44 per $100 of assessment. This marks the 13th year in a row without an increase to the residential tax rate while the commercial rate dropped by two cents from last year.
Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron said council is happy to be able to maintain the residential rate, adding the county is proud to keep the commercial rate the lowest in the province. He said they are trying to send the message that Antigonish County is open for business.
McCarron said the drop in commercial rates won’t have much of an impact on the county’s bottom line, noting the county finished the fiscal year strong and ended up in a surplus position. The overall operating budget for the county is around $11.51 million dollars. Big ticket items for the county include RCMP costs, education, and environmental services. The County’s capital plan is around $3.5 million, with McCarron noting items there include waterline replacement along the Old South River Road and South River Road loop, and the town boundary to the Williams Point Road intersection. There will also be some repaving work on Appleseed Drive and Townsend Street.