No increased tax rate but sewer charge and deed transfer tax increasingPublished Apr 08, 2025 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 2 minute readTruro Town Hall on Prince Street. Town council approved the operating budget for 2025-2026 on April 7. Photo by Brendyn Creamer /Truro NewsThanks to rising assessments, there will be no increase in property taxes for Truro residents this year.At an April 7 meeting, Truro council approved the 2025-26 operating budget worth $39.8 million — 5.5 per cent higher than last year.Residential property assessments increased 8.5 per cent, (commercial assessments decreased by 0.1 per cent) but the mandated provincial payments also increased 19.6 ($569,000) because of the assessment value fluctuations, explained Tara Russell, director of corporate services.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentINCREASESThe new budget does include two increases to sewer charges and the deed transfer tax. The town is increasing sewer charges by $0.05, which will mean an annual increase of about $24 for the average family. Staff say the increase is needed to cover the rising costs of maintaining the infrastructure.The deed transfer tax is going up a half percentage point from one per cent to 1.5 per cent.Deputy Mayor Bill Thomas argued against the increases because of the hardship on residents, especially with uncertain economic times ahead.“I want to be gracious to our taxpayers and not go for any increase this year on anything and next year we’ll see,” he said. “We’re facing a lot of economic uncertainty.”Ward 3 Coun. Ian McGrath said there were a lot of tough decisions and many items were left off the budget. He said he hopes these increases are “palatable for everyone … but the cost of everything is going up.”CAPITAL BUDGETThe capital budget is $12.99 million, which is offset by over $3.7 million in provincial and federal grants or other funding sources.Article content A sign on McClures Mills Road in Truro just before the roundabout on a sunny Feb. 11 morning. Photo by Richard MacKenzie /Truro NewsThree highlighted building projects in the next fiscal year include:Cobequid Drive Upgrade. This is a $2.7 million project with half of it funded by the province. Over a stretch of 575 metres of road, construction involves replacing a sewer line, and adding a new storm sewer line to help with flooding in the neighbourhood.Willow Street. Crews will be installing sidewalk and curb upgrades on the west side of the street for $810,000, which is funded by the Sustainable Services Growth Fund.Other street improvements. Portions of Willow Street, Prince Street and George Street will be upgraded in 2025, costing $617,000. MAYBE NEXT YEAR FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATIONMcGrath pointed out that the number of capital projects has steadily decreased over the years because of the high cost of construction but was frustrated that major active transportation projects are not on the list this year.Mayor Cathy Hinton said they just can’t afford to move forward with their active transportation plans this year.Article content“Bottom line is this, straight up, it’s frustrating. I was at those active transportation meetings and it was very positive … and it’s hard when we have to sit here and make decisions,” she said. “We’re over budget on some things and sometimes costs can’t be helped. These things happen and hopefully next year, we’ll be able to do something.”Mike Dolter, chief administrative officer, noted that they are spending $890,000 for sidewalks which is part of active transportation.“People want to say we’re doing nothing? No, we’ve got a million-dollar project that’s going to improve safety, allow people to walk down Willow Street where they’re currently walking on dirt or beside a very busy road,” he said.Article content
$40 million budget approved for Truro
