The Town Conception Bay South town council presented its budget Tuesday evening.

With a total budget of $42.5 million, marking a 7.2% increase from the previous year, the budget includes what the town is calling a responsible financial strategy that addresses the challenges posed by the rising costs of goods and services while meeting the needs of a growing community.

“Council was elected with a mandate to drive community development, and despite facing economic challenges, we are seeing positive results with record-high revenues, continuous residential development, and increased commercial activity,” said Deputy Mayor Andrew Gosse. “However, like every municipality in Newfoundland and Labrador, we are facing significant rising costs. After reducing expenditures for five consecutive years, any further reductions would negatively impact core services. Given the minimal increase in average property assessments, as determined by the Municipal Assessment Agency, a modest property tax increase for Budget 2024 was necessary to maintain current service levels.

The budget reports no new borrowing, aligning with the Town’s debt management strategy and long-term financial planning.

Key Highlights:

• The residential property mill rate will see a modest increase of 0.3, bringing it to 7.60. The commercial mill rate will remain steady at 11.5.
• No water and sewer tax increase, remaining at $635 per residential unit and $930 per commercial unit.
• Allocation of $50,000 for planning a regional community centre at The Gateway, focusing on sports and recreational enhancements, with the conceptual model to be announced in 2024.
• Continued focus on attracting new businesses to The Gateway through a partnership with Colliers East, a renowned name in commercial real estate.
• Elimination of building permit fees for housing projects approved under federal and provincial affordable and rental housing programs, with a 50% reduction in building permit fees for any multi-unit development.
• Commitment to speeding up the time it takes to approve development applications.
• Fifth consecutive year of waiving fees for residential improvement permits for things like sheds, decks, and fences.
• Waiver of business application processing fees in 2024 to facilitate business registration.
• Issuance of a critical tender for a new fire truck in 2024, a strategic investment valued at approximately $1 million, and a commitment to replacing two more fire trucks over the next few years.
• Investment of $1.5 million for new, essential fleet for engineering and public works services. This is an increase of $600,000 over last year and represents the largest year-over-year expenditure increase within this budget, outside of general inflationary prices we have no control over.
• Investment of $14 million for capital works programs, including water and sewer installation and upgrades, street paving projects, and the Seal Cove River Bridge Replacement project.
• Investment of $75,000 for a new Municipal Plan and Development Regulations to guide community development and shape the Town’s future.
• The creation of an ATV pilot program, aimed at providing two legal routes on town roads for off-road vehicle users to access approved ATV areas.
• Continuation of Seniors Property Tax Reduction, the Seniors Property Tax Incentive, and the Low-Income Tax Reduction.
• Investments in sustainability initiatives include a stormwater management study for the Kelligrews River and acquiring a weather station to understand weather events better.
• A slight increase to some recreation fees to better reflect the cost of service delivery, ensuring we maintain high-quality services competitive with neighboring municipalities. There will also be a charge to sports organizations for field maintenance, which was previously provided free of charge.