(Photo: TDCB)
The City of Moncton put an end to the budget season on Friday morning, ratifying the 2022 budget.
Several last-minute motions came before council, including an attempt to raise the property tax revenue.
Deputy Mayor Charles Leger suggested that the property tax revenue be capped at 4.6% to create a reserve earmarked for social issues. He told fellow council members the move would provide “flexibility” as the demand for funds to address social inclusion, homelessness and other related concerns rises.
A 0.6% increase to the tax revenue represents a total of $877,180, according to a city report.
While members of council agreed the idea has merit, the motion ultimately failed due to the lack of background details on the matter.
Coun. Dave Steeves expressed concerns this reserve could result in more requests for larger amounts of money. Steeves said there needs to be a higher level of transparency and accountability, with a specific outline from organizations that details what the requested funds will be used for and a follow-up report that confirms they were used correctly.
Leger was the only member of council to vote in favour of the motion.
Council passed two motions to increase the grants provided to Ensemble Moncton and The Light Project- Second Chance Workshop. City staff indicated the increase for both grants will be pulled from the stabilization reserve.
Budget notables
Among the most impactful items in the 2022 budget is the reduction to the tax rate from $1.6497 to $1.5472 per $100 of assessed value. Property assessments in Moncton rose significantly over the past year, soaring by over 10%.
Rumours of a substantial increase in the cost of policing proved to be true after a new unionized settlement for RCMP officers. Moncton is on the hook for an additional $3.4 million of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority’s costs in 2022. This equals about 70% of the total cost, which is split with the Town of Riverview and the City of Dieppe.
According to a spokesperson for the City of Moncton, funds have been pulled “from a previous year’s surplus in Policing to fund the increase in cost,” which means the costs will only be a $2.7 million increase.
The average Moncton household in Moncton will see an increase of about 1.88% in their water and wastewater utility bill. The average resident will pay about $1,086 on an annual basis or $271.50 quarterly.
