Common Council will be poring over the proposed 2017 city budget which includes $550 thousand more for police and over $200 thousand in additional funding for the fire department. Additional funding of just over $129 thousand has been allocated for wage increases approved by Council last week for the mayor and councillors.
Councillors have been told compared to other municipalities in the province of similar size as well as the surrounding communities such as Rothesay or Quispamsis, the growth if the city’s tax base growth is below the benchmark.
Property tax revenues will increase by almost $712 thousand which amounts to a meagre .59%. In addition, the City has to rely more on the unconditional grant to provide services to its residents which is not an indication of a robust local economy.
In order to reduce reliance on the unconditional grant, the city has to invest in growing its tax base and increasing its population.
