Richmond’s Deputy Warden is proposing that the provincial government consider property assessment caps for homes destroyed by fire or other disasters.
At last night’s regular monthly meeting in Arichat, Richmond Municipal Council approved a recommendation from its committee-of-the-whole to send correspondence to the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
Deputy Warden Brent Sampson commended the provincial government for maintaining the cap for those affected by the wildfires in Tantallon and Shelburne in 2023.
Council agreed to his motion asking that the province add all Nova Scotians who lose their homes to disaster which would allow homeowners to rebuild without incurring sudden or large increases in their assessments. Sampson said those building new homes are doing so out of necessity and shouldn’t be “financially punished.”
Over the last years, Sampson said there have been a number of tragic events in Richmond County, including severe weather, which have led to the loss of homes.