The overall tax rate in Port Hawkesbury hasn’t changed, but your tax bill will look a little different.
Town officials have split sewer service charges from the property tax rate; town councillors voted to keep the overall rates the same as part of their 2019-20 budget approval at a special council meeting Wednesday.
After, Brenda Chisholm-Beaton, the mayor of Port Hawkesbury, told The Hawk most towns in the province have separate sewer rates.
“It puts us in a little bit of a better position on that spectrum, so that we’re able to appear, at least, more competitive in terms of where we fit,” she said. “It will definitely allow for our citizen to understand exactly where their tax dollars are going in a way that’s easy to see.”
Chisholm-Beaton said it will make it easier for prospective business owners and residents to compare Port Hawkesbury to other towns.
She says that attracting new residents and business was top of mind for councillors, and a major reason why they didn’t increase tax rates.
“We definitely want to have an atmosphere in the Town of Port Hawkesbury that indicates that we’re here and open for business.”
The tax rate will be $1.58/$100 of assessment for residential properties, plus a $0.22/$100 of assessment sewer service charge for a combined rate of $1.80/$100 of assessment, which is unchanged from 2018-19.
Business owners will pay separate sewer changes as well; the town’s commercial rate remains $4.38/100 of assessment, which includes the $0.22/$100 of assessment sewer charge.
The overall budget is $7.8 million, also unchanged from 2018-19.
