Westville residents will see a rise in their tax rates, while council prepares one of their most ambitious capital budgets in recent years.
The budget for the current fiscal year was passed at last night’s monthly meeting, with a
Westville Mayor Lennie White (Town of Westville photo)
balanced operating budget of $5.16 million, and a capital budget of $5.68 million. Tax rates for residential and resource property will rise 5 cents to $2.13 per $100 assessment, while commercial property will go up 26 cents to $3.95 per $100 assessed. Mayor Lennie White says much of the increase go towards servicing an additional $4.69 million in debt – to be paid out over 25 years – to cover much of the new capital work this year. Mayor White says with the cost of so many things rising rapidly, it was felt that overall it would cost less for the town to do the proposed capital work all at once, rather than piecemeal over several years.
This year’s capital budget includes $2.5 million to upgrade Cowan Street, 730 thousand for a new fire truck, 261 thousand for a new roof for the building housing Public Works, Police and Fire, and 255 thousand to pave sections of Whitman Drive, Prince William Street, Duff Street and Highfield Street. Currently, only three projects are on the sidewalk renewal list, but CAO Scott Weeres noted to council that Public Works has the tools to do more of the prep work themselves, so that the 283 thousand dollars budgeted may be able to go towards additional tenders. White also noted that the town of Westville has now paid off its obligations for the funding of the Pictou County Wellness Centre, which will free up that portion of the deed transfer tax to go into the town’s reserves.