The St. George Gorge can be seen in this undated photo. (Photo: Town of St. George/Facebook)
The town of St. George passed a $3.21 million budget for 2021, which includes a handful of rate increases for residents.
A one cent increase to the tax rate will bring it to $1.41 per $100 of assessment next year. A release issued by the municipality said this is the first tax rate increase since a two cent increase in 2017.
Fixed-rate and industrial water users will also both see upticks next year.
Fixed-rate users will see the annual water rate rise to $370 from $365, while the annual sewage rate will also rise $5 to $165. The total annual cost for a residential home will now be $535.
Industrial users will see a jump in metered water prices from $2.54 per 1,000 gallons to $3.31.
The town says the increase is due to a decrease in demand for sewage and water in 2020. The release attributes the change to planned production cuts and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the town used reserve funds to offset a forecasted revenue decrease, but that option is not available this year.
Acting Mayor Faith Avery said they hope to return to lower rates in 2022 if industrial usage ‘normalizes.’
There will also be a 1.5 per cent increase in property assessments, up to $141.4 million in 2021.
Protection services are also seeing increases, with fire protection forecasted at nearly $314,000, and police services from the RCMP are expected to cost just under $449,000.
