Budget season is underway for Charlotte County municipalities.
In Saint Andrews, council has received two presentations regarding its capital and operating budgets and in two in St. Stephen.
A priority theme throughout both capital budgets – which is the budget that deals with acquisition or maintenance of fixed assets like buildings, land, equipment – has been working toward improving infrastructure.
Saint Andrews is considering a new Zamboni, but is waiting to determine whether it will move to an electric version, proposed by Coun. Marc Blanchard – which cost $70,000 more – or stick with a propane model.
“I’ve seen how the electric Zamboni works and it just dies,” said Coun. Lee Heenan. “They have to revert back to the old one. I would support propane this time. I believe that everything is going to get better with time. Right at this time … I think it’s really financially responsible to buy the propane one.”
Some upgrades and equipment have been requested for the fire department.
The council has placed a lot of focus on improving parking within the downtown core. In the summer months, some 80,000 tourists visit the community, which creates parking congestion.
Staff are proposing two paving projects, one on the Queen Street extension, and a parking lot at the site of the former Legion parking lot.
The Queen Street extension could cost between $375,00 and $400,000. While the Legion lot could cost $468,000. Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Chris Spear said if it filled in the ditches and paved it – with proper markings – it estimated the lot could fit between 48 to 50 vehicles.
Spear said this would come from the municipality’s portion of the tourism accommodation levy (TAL), and could effectively wipe it out. This means it would not come at the expense of the taxpayers in Saint Andrews.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to undertake new equipment.”
The TAL is a fee charged by hotels, motels and inns to guests who stay. It gets put into a fund that goes toward tourism improvement.
Spear said the priority would likely be the Legion lot.
Heenan said he feels that lot would elevate a lot of issues next year.
“I’m not really for investing a whole million in parking, but I really like the Legion parking lot,” he said. “I think, as you say, we can discuss later through the year [on other projects].”
He proposed taking the Queen Street extension out of the draft budget.
Coun. Steve Neil agreed, adding he also couldn’t imagine spending $1 million on parking and he feels the Legion lot gets the council and the town the most for their money.
Heenan also said he continues to be concerned about the aging equipment owned by the town, but that council has done a good job of beginning that replacement work.
“We’ve done exceptionally well,” he said. “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to undertake new equipment.”
Last year, the town purchased a ladder truck for the fire department for about $1.5 million.
The proposed total general capital budget is $3,384,000 of which $1,101,307 would come from tax revenue and the proposed utility budget is $1,226,300 of which $557,000 comes from user fees.
Assessment base rises slightly
In Charlotte County, assessments were up despite the provincial government freezing them for the 2026 taxation year in May. The assessment freeze did not apply to new construction or renovations.
The provincial average was growth of about 2.7 per cent.
Eastern Charlotte saw its assessment base grow by 1.8 per cent. In St. Stephen, it increased by 1.5 per cent. Saint Andrews, meanwhile, grew by 1.8 per cent. Fundy Shores saw a small growth of about 0.9 per cent.
Road improvements for St. Stephen
St. Stephen’s Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Renaud said the largest priority is roadway improvements at a cost of $5.1 million through the municipal burrowing board.
The draft budget also included proposals for a new roof on the municipal building at 199 Union Street for $350,000.
It proposes 10 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units for the fire department at about $150,000. A new dehumidifier for the Garcelon Civic Centre GCC for $250,000. It will also consider the installation of new solar lights along the waterfront trail for $40,000.
Further funds, about $430,481 are expected to be allocated at the Nov. 26 meeting. Renaud said through consultation with the public, the staff determined roadwork was a significant priority, but also communications.
The town approved hiring a communications officer in October.
Renaud said all assessment increases help, but “an artificial freeze on the assessment base does limit the policy options available to elected officials.”
Municipalities in New Brunswick must run a balanced budget by law. Despite many taking on larger areas, more constituents and services through amalgamation, the provincial government has not yet made good on a promise to bring about fiscal reform for local governments.
In May, the Liberal government announced the Community Funding Act. It details the amounts of money that will be given out next year.
It is part of a commitment to expand the funding to about $188 million by 2030, just shy of the more than $200 million dollar gap in funding identified by the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB).
There is also a growing infrastructure deficit province-wide
According to the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB), the 2022 municipal reform, undertaken by the previous Progressive Conservative governments, increased the number of people living in a local government by 38 per cent, but without any funding mechanism added to help.
It is particularly concerned about the infrastructure gap, measured at $2.5 billion.
The federal budget did include the Build Communities Strong Fund, an investment of $51 billion over ten years for local infrastructure – including, hospitals, universities, roads, bridges, transit systems and water system.
Premier Susan Holt told The Courier following a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney that it will look at how the funding could line up with some of the work being undertaken provincially, but didn’t say whether any particular areas or projects had been identified.
No council, yet, has set tax rates or utility rates, but discussions could begin as early as next week. St. Stephen has not presented its utility budget. Eastern Charlotte said it is continuing to work on the budget, and there has been no presentation yet.
All budgets are in draft form and are not final until a public vote by the council.
