Minister Jeff Carr held a technical briefing at the Nic-Nicolle Centre in Saint John on Tuesday, November 25th. (Danielle McCreadie)
After new regional cost-sharing legislation was unveiled last week, many communities were wondering just how much they’d have to pay.
The province has released those numbers, which project a slight increase to property taxes for the Greater Saint John region.
The proposed legislative changes to the Greater Saint John Regional Facilities Commission Act would see Rothesay, Quispamsis and Grand Bay-Westfield help with the capital costs of five Saint John facilities, on top of the operating costs they already help pay.
The changes would also force St. Martins, Hampton and several local service districts to pitch in on both capital and operating costs for facilities such as TD Station and the Imperial Theatre.
Local Government Minister Jeff Carr says the outlying communities could see an average increase of 2.8 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
For a property worth $100,000, Carr says that could look like an increase of $2.30 a month.
“There are five regional facilities and they require regional support to ensure their sustainability in the long-term,” said Carr. “The proposal will ensure more representation on the commission and more voices from local governments and local service districts will be heard.”
Provincial officials say the new cost-sharing model would take effect for 2020.
