The provincial government says the projected deficit is expected to hit $1.66 billion, ballooning again from earlier predictions of $1.39 billion. According to the Department of Finance and Treasury Board (FTB), revenues were down $35.8 million. The department said this is largely due to lower federal conditional grants under the integrated bilateral agreement. The Department […]
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Property tax reform recently released by the provincial government in New Brunswick has fallen short for some municipalities expectations. “We supported as an association the goal of creating a fair, transparent, predictable and stable system,” Brittany Merrifield, the president of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said. “The reforms that came through last week […]
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New Brunswickers can expect to see a hike in fees for certain government services. Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin announced the increases alongside the investments made in the Department of Justice Public Safety, totalling $423 million. About $7 million has been allocated to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for operational costs, body-worn cameras, and […]
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The province has decided to close six tourism and heritage sites across New Brunswick this year, including Sheriff Andrews House, as part of overall cuts to spending. It comes amid a ballooning deficit expected to hit $1.39 billion. Finance Minister Rene Legacy announced $15.6 billion in new spending, mainly in health care, housing and education. […]
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Finance Minister Rene Legacy said the province’s deficit has grown to $1.3 billion amid higher spending in health care and social development. Total revenue is projected to be $372.1 million lower than budgeted, largely driven by lower corporate income tax and personal income tax revenue, as well as lower Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) revenue. It […]
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The Saint Andrews council has approved its 2026 budgets, but not without some dissent. Like other local governments in Charlotte County, it held its tax rates for both rural and urban areas. The provincial government has a freeze on property assessments, creating a level of uncertainty to municipalities across the province. Saint Andrews will hold […]
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The Municipal District of St. Stephen (MDSS) is holding its tax rates amid the ongoing property assessment freeze throughout New Brunswick. Rates will remain at 1.5561 per $100 of assessment for Ward 2 – or the urban area of St. Stephen – and 0.5597 per $100 of assessment for the rural wards. The rural wards […]
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The Courier Editorial Board As the budget season for municipalities gets underway, all to be settled before the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s a time to reflect but also to set a vision for the future. A budget is a defining document that sets out the dollars and cents for a municipality’s operations, […]
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The Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission (SNBSC) has reduced the amount some municipalities in Charlotte County will pay as part of its new budget. Hollis Bartlett, the SNBSC’s executive director, said because the province froze property assessments this year – the sole funding received by municipalities in New Brunswick – it was asked to take […]
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A motion to record the budget discussion process in Eastern Charlotte died on the floor, drawing swift criticism from the public. Coun. Alexa Detorakis made a motion to ask that the working session for the 2026 budget and the committee of the whole meetings be recorded on camera. It also asked for the recordings to […]
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