If you live in the Municpality of Inverness County, your property taxes are going up.
Council has approved the budget for the 2026-2027 operating year, and along with it, they have slightly raised the property tax rate.
It is up $0.09 cents per $100 of assessed property value. For residential ratepayers, it is now $1.14. For commercial rates, it is now $2.
“This budget reflects Council’s commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with the needs of our community,” said Bonny MacIsaac, Warden of the Municipality of Inverness County, in a news release.
“While we recognize that any tax increase affects residents and businesses, it is necessary to ensure we can continue providing reliable services, maintain critical infrastructure and prepare for future growth.”
Overall, the budget totalled $31,153,611.
They say the increase is because of higher mandatory payments to the provincial government for things like education, the RCMP, property value assessment services, libraries, and roads.
“We’ve heard from residents who are surprised to learn that municipalities are required to pay for services such as education and policing, while having no control over how much those costs increase each year,” wrote MacIsaac.
“Over the past three years, mandatory provincial contributions have increased by more than $1.6 million, or 20.4 per cent. Today, nearly one-third of every municipal tax dollar is directed toward these provincially mandated costs.”
Provincial budget cuts have also “significantly reduced funding for municipal programs,” and now other community groups are asking for more funding from the municipality, they say.
On top of that, the municipality’s infrastructure, including recycling and waste removal services, are getting older. Construction costs are going up, and there is more demand for emergency management, disaster response, and climate adaptation initiatives.
Here are some estimates from the municipality of what that tax rate will look like:
- if your house is assessed at $127,644, the average for the county, it will cost about $115 more a year
- if your house is assessed at $300,000, it will cost about $270 more a year
- if your house is assessed at $400,000, it will cost about $360 more a year
The municipality says that, even with these increases, their rate is well below the provincial average, and still lower than what taxes were in 1978. They say the residential rate then was $1.50, and the commercial rate was $2.30.
They add that they will try to maximize external funding, as well, with about 74 per cent of the 2026-27 capital program coming from provincial and federal money.
