Tax rates hike in Heron Bay
Council said higher costs left town little choice
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Tax rates in Heron Bay are going up next year after council held a brief special public meeting on Monday to pass the 2024 budget.
“The province did our budget last year so this was the first time we’ve had to do it since amalgamation,” said CAO Gilles Legacy. “It was a tough year for us and this budget process was complicated but it’s done and we’re hoping that when the final numbers come in for 2023 that we’re still ahead of the game.”
The budget for the town comes in at $9,308,195, up from $8,791,015 last year.
The largest expense in 2024 will be in transportation services which was budgeted at $3.43 million, an increase over last year of more than $300,000.
That’s followed by $1.912 million in protective services, recreation ($1.3 million) and general government services ($1.2 million).
Legacy noted that there are a half-dozen different areas within the new town of Heron Bay with different tax rates.
“That was probably the most challenging part, that we had to pretty much do separate budgets for each of the areas.”
For most areas, the tax increase was around five or six cents per $100 in the assessed value of a property. That means the tax on a $100,000 home, for example, increased $50-$60.
Tax rates in the Dalhousie section went from $1.6804 in 2023 to $1.730 in 2024, an increase of 4.96 cents.
Charlo residents will pay $1.50 in taxes this year, up 5.56 cents from $1.444 in 2023.
The largest increases will be in the local service districts that were included into the new town of Heron Bay in the amalgamation process.
Residents in the Chaleur LSD will pay 7.07 cents more in tax this year when the new rate of $.895 comes into effect.
Those in the Point la Nim LSD will pay 6.1 cents more ($.9255) while those in the Dalhousie LSD will pay 6.0 cents more (.7171) and those in Dalhousie Junction will pay 5.13 cents more when their tax rate increases to $.885.
“We kept the increases to a minimum and we’re hoping they will remain stable for a while,” said Legacy.
Council also passed the utility budget, which was set at $2,390,000 with the power generating budget being $1,445,000.
Campbellton and Bois Joli are expected to have their budgets finalized and presented next week.
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