Richmond Municipal Council made some budget decisions.
At last night’s regular monthly meeting in Arichat, council approved a recommendation from its committee-of-the-whole and set the Low Income Property Tax Exemption at $35,000 annually per applicant and kept the exemption to a maximum of $200.
Council then accepted the committee’s recommendation and approved the D’Escousse Civic Improvement Society for a $500 grant.
A $7,500 grant request from the Grand River Volunteer Fire Department was deferred until after approval of the 2026-2027 budget.
Noting that the fire department doubles as the community centre, District 5 Councillor Brent Sampson said this application is to repair part of the roof which extends to the bays that house the fire trucks.
After Warden Lois Landry noted that the funds remaining in the budget will not cover all grant requests, Sampson said the hope is to start work in the upcoming construction season but he agreed with his fellow councillors that the application can wait until the next budget period.
Richmond Municipal Building in Arichat
A $7,500 grant request from the St. Peter’s Community Club for the Nicolas Denys Museum was tabled at the committee-of-the-whole. Landry said the application could be accepted for provincial funding because that funding stream was not reduced.
At last night’s meeting, the warden confirmed that the application was received by the province but no decision has been made to date.
Deputy Warden Amanda Mombourquette told council the group is willing to wait for the funds and can use the summer season to prepare. Council agreed to look at the proposal once the upcoming budget is approved..
As for a grant request from the Rocky Bay Irish Club, Landry said the Isle Madame group can spend $15,834 of its own on the project, and council approved their request for $7,500 in municipal funding.