Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian, right, wraps up the municipality’s second budget meeting on Monday night. Also pictured is interim CAO Dan McDougall. (Region of Queens YouTube channel)

Region of Queens councillors began their 2025/26 budget discussions with some money in the bank from 2024/25, as they look to make life a little easier for people on low or fixed incomes.

Mayor Scott Christian said the region has a surplus in the million-dollar range. But he said it’s difficult to know for sure until finance staff crunch the final numbers.

Last year, council began budget deliberations with a $650,000 surplus from 2023/24. Nova Scotia municipalities are not allowed to run an operating budget deficit.

Councillors are following a different process this year. While the meetings are public, residents don’t have access to draft budget documents as they did in last year’s discussions.

“I think in past years, there was a lot of emphasis on starting with a tax rate and then working down or whittling away at that or as you add things, the tax rate implications,” Christian told QCCR.

“I think that this year we wanted to focus on funding the right things, identifying what are going to be appropriate things to include in the capital investment plan, and then get that operating budget right. 
So I think it was a conscious decision but that was staff-driven that they thought that let’s try to get it right, try to set the appropriate budget given what the needs of the community are, and then look at it on balance with revenue and see what the implications are for the ratepayer.”

In their second public budget meeting earlier this week, councillors discussed boosting the low-income property tax exemption and helping the Queens County Food Bank with its rent.

They also found out that the region has about $325,000 left over from the renovations to the new Thomas H. Raddall Library space. Councillors had approved up to $1.26 million for that work.

And revenue at Queens Place Emera Centre is forecasted to be down this year because of less advertising and sponsorship and no major full-facility rentals planned to March 31, 2026.

Heading into 2025/26, the region expects to get $20.5 million in property tax revenue, an increase of $900,000, based on the current base tax rate of $1.04 per $100 of assessment.

That increase is mostly due to higher property assessments, which rose by $86.9 million.

Director of corporate services Joanne Veinotte took councillors through the region’s preliminary operating budget.

It was a chance for councillors to request changes, more information or additional funding.

Councillors like District 4 representative Vicki Amirault want the low-income property tax exemption increased to give more relief potentially to more people. 

“I would like to up the income level,” she told councillors. “
I think we should up it $5,000 on each stage there, and up the rebate as well. I think it would be very helpful to our residents.”

Last year, the region increased the maximum income threshold to $35,000. Those in the lowest income range, up to $25,000, can get a $400 break on their taxes. Those in the top group can apply for up to $300 in relief.

Veinotte said she would report back to councillors on what relief the region could offer depending on how much more money councillors devote to the program.

District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell said he wants council to have a serious look at the Mount Pleasant water and wastewater extension. The region has budgeted $10.8 million toward the $21-million project. The Nova Scotia government is covering the rest.

The project would extend municipal water and sewer access to two new private housing developments in Liverpool. It would also improve existing infrastructure.

“The extension to Mount Pleasant boggles my mind when we have so much infrastructure need, including sidewalks … but not just that, with the upgrades needed in water on the west side of town, up till Union Street, I’m really having some reservations about the extension at all,” Wentzell said.

“And I’m speaking from the heart. I’m sorry if that upsets some people.”

Christian said after the meeting that councillors want to understand what exactly is involved in that project and potentially look for ways to lower the municipality’s share of the cost. 

“This council’s not OK with incurring a huge amount of debt that could potentially be paid for by the general ratepayer and/or utilizing reserves that have been accumulated from the general ratepayer to pay for that service extension. And we currently don’t have any federal monies that are committed to that project. I think that that’s problematic. What is the plan with service extension? What impacts does that have on preparing us for future growth but also what impacts does it have, attending to known and foreseeable issues associated with the existing infrastructure for our utilities?”

Councillors will resume budget talks on Tues., May 6 at 6 p.m. at council chambers on White Point Road.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says regional council hopes to approve its 2025/26 budget by early May. (Rick Conrad photo)

Region of Queens councillors will begin their 2025/26 budget deliberations this week, almost a month after the fiscal year has expired.

Region of Queens councillors will begin their 2025/26 budget deliberations this week, almost a month after the fiscal year has expired.

Finance staff will present the draft budget to council at a meeting on Thursday (April 24) at 6 p.m. at council chambers on White Point Road.

Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that councillors had an initial budget orientation session on Tuesday.

“We need to get to it for sure,” he said in an interview after council’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening.

“We’re looking at approving the budget early next month so we don’t have any issues with the tax bills.” 

Councillors will have another meeting to go over the draft budget on Monday at 6 p.m., with another meeting scheduled on Tues., May 6 at 6 p.m., if required.

They’re hoping to vote on the final budget at their regular meeting on Tues., May 13 at 9 a.m.

All meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the region’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The region was also late setting its budget last year. Councillors began deliberations on the 2024/25 budget in early April and finished by the end of the month. 

The 2025/26 budget has to be set in enough time to allow the region’s staff to send out property tax bills by the first of June.

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says council will begin budget talks later this month. (Rick Conrad)

The Region of Queens still hasn’t begun its 2025/26 budget deliberations.

Mayor Scott Christian said this week the process will likely begin in the third week of April.

“Some time in the last two weeks of April and we will be notifying the public of that as soon as possible,” he told QCCR after Tuesday’s council meeting.

“Unexpected delays on the staff side preparing the numbers to get the starting point for the budget deliberation process in terms of understanding the lift (from increased property assessments) and our known operating and capital expenses.”

Budget deliberations were also delayed last year by the previous council. They began those talks in early April and finished by the end of the month.

This year, though, councillors will have even less time. Christian acknowledged that when the process does begin, it will be “expedited”.

“We’re right up against it. Tax bills need to come out in June, so it basically needs to be approved by the first council meeting in May to get our ducks in a row to have the tax bills (ready). 
That’s not ideal. It’s a point of frustration. 
We want to make it as engaging, transparent as possible. And we also want it to be a thoughtful, deliberate, intentional, patient approach. And unfortunately, we’re just not going to be in a position for the budget deliberations to be in that ideal state.”

He and Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton are away next week at a conference. He said that budget talks will begin the week after that.

Municipalities in Nova Scotia generally approve their budgets by the end of March. Two weeks ago, Queens councillors approved interim spending limits so that the region could keep paying its bills.

Christian said the region will be quicker out of the gate next year.

“I’d like to see the capital budget approved in December and have a draft of the operating budget available for public input in January.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Region of Queens councillors are getting closer to finalizing their 2024/25 budget. (Pixabay)

The Region of Queens is getting closer to finalizing its budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year.

Councillors will go over the draft operating, capital and water utility budgets at their meeting Tuesday evening at 6. It will give councillors a chance to make any other changes before voting on the final package.

They’re proposing to have a special council meeting next Monday at 9 a.m. for that final vote.

Councillors are coming off a 2023/24 budget that ended up with an estimated $650,000 surplus. 

So far, the region is proposing a balanced budget for 24/25, with no increases to the base tax rate. 

Councillors and staff have worked over the past month to avoid any tax rate increases, even as they added expenditures, such as an extra $126,772 to help the region’s fire departments pay for rising costs to replace trucks.

Also on Tuesday, councillors are set to discuss crosswalk safety at the three-way stop at Main and Market streets in Liverpool, as well as speed limit reductions in certain parts of Liverpool.

The meeting is in council chambers on White Point Road, and it will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Melissa Thiele-Smale, treasurer of the Brooklyn Recreation Committee, spoke to Queens regional council in January. (Region of Queens YouTube channel)

The Brooklyn Recreation Committee will be reimbursed $1,150 by the Region of Queens for the cost of a financial review.

In 2023, the committee was granted a community area rate of four cents per $100 of assessment to fund its operations. The rate provides $32,000 in revenue. 

Certain community groups can apply to the region to levy an area rate on their behalf. The group sets a proposed rate, which is calculated at cents per $100 of assessment or a lump sum.

An area rate request is subject to public consultation and a non-binding vote by those in the communities served by the group.

Queens is one of the only municipalities in Nova Scotia to offer an area rate to community groups to cover expenses. Other municipalities levy rates for assets owned by the municipality.

“There are many who apply different rates to different areas for different purposes. These rates are used to cover costs that are more specific to an area such as: fire protection based on fire service area, sidewalks, local recreation facilities, etc.,” Joanne Veinotte, director of corporate services, said in her Jan. 9 report to council.

“Staff could identify very few municipal units that use this method to support community groups that operate independently from the municipal units.”

The region changed its community area rate policy on Jan. 23, and the financial reporting requirements for community groups. 

Under the old policy, groups had to submit a financial review by a qualified chartered public accountant. 

In the new policy, only those generating revenue over $50,000 have to submit a financial review. Those groups generating revenue from the area rate over $100,000 must submit audited financial statements.

The Brooklyn Recreation Committee had a financial review done by Belliveau Veinotte, which cost $1,150. District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault asked council at their Jan. 9 meeting to consider reimbursing that cost.

Councillors voted on the motion at this week’s meeting. It passed by a vote of 5 to 3. 

Some councillors were concerned that the group knew it would have to pay for the financial review before the policy changed, and that taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com