INVERNESS: Municipal officials in Inverness County have held the line on tax rates.
Council passed their budget during their regular monthly meeting on June 4, approving a residential rate of $1.05 per $100 of assessment along with retaining their commercial rate of $1.91.
Warden Betty Ann MacQuarrie said despite a $382,000 shortfall, the municipality was able to cover it through their reserve funds.
“That’s how we just brought it up to par and balanced the budget,” she said. “We had to do some tweaking; however the tax rates remain the same.”
MacQuarrie advised the municipality did feel an impact from COVID-19 but it wasn’t significant.
Despite approving their 2020-21 municipal operating budget earlier this month, council is still working towards approving their fiscal capital plan.
As other municipalities begin returning to their offices and re-opening their buildings to the public, there isn’t a concrete plan to return.
MacQuarrie said there are a few staff in the municipal building, but it remains closed to the public for the time being. She noted municipal staff are still building their return-to-work plan to enforce mandated public health requirements.
“We have to have a plan on how to protect people, staff and residents, who may eventually be coming into the building,” she said. “We have to [abide] by provincial regulations and be prepared to open, so we will when we are more than certain that the building is safe.”
MacQuarrie added staff expect they’ll be in a position to reopen their municipal building in early July.