Richmond Co. municipal building; CIGO file photo
Municipal councillors in Richmond Co. have passed their 2021-22 budget.
The new $14.1 million fiscal blueprint- up $400,000 from 2020-21- includes a one-cent tax increase to bring the residential tax rate to $0.81/$100 of assessment and the commercial tax rate $2.11/$100 of assessment.
It was approved during a special council meeting Wednesday night.
Amanda Mombourquette, the warden of Richmond Co., tells The Hawk one factor contributing to the tax hike was the rising cost of necessary expenses, such as police services, education and housing.
“Based on those pressures that we were facing, including those mandatory contribution pressures, we felt it was absolutely the best that we could do,” she says. “We did look in every corner (to try to avoid a tax increase).”
Mombourquette says investing in infrastructure for the future was top-of-mind for several councillors, but that would have led to even higher tax increases.
She says many residents in the municipality have struggled financially because of COVID-19, so for now, they’re focused on getting through the pandemic.
“We need to give our communities and our residents a chance to recover from this pandemic before going in that direction.”
Mombourquette says some budget highlights include an increase in investments for non-profits, $100,000 for future grant applications, and strategic investments in things such as transit, health and safety, and food banks.
She says the budget includes provisions for studies they consider a priority, including a refresh of their strategic plan, an assessment of the former school in Evanston, and an inflow and outflow study for the Petit-de-Grat sewer system, among others.
