Grand Bay-Westfield residents now know what their tax rates will be for 2023.

Typically, council approves the budget and associated tax rate in December.

But the 2023 budget process was different due to provincial local governance reform.

As part of the reform, the Westfield West local service district became part of the local government of Grand Bay-Westfield.

“The 2023 budget for Grand Bay-Westfield was prepared with input from Council, Administration, the Transition Facilitator and the Local Service District Manager of the former LSD of Westfield West before being approved by the Minister of Local Governance Reform in December,” the town said in a news release.

Residents in Ward 1 will see their tax rate fall by two cents to around $1.35 per $100 of assessed value.

The tax rate in Ward 2 — the former Westfield West LSD — jumped 11 cents to $0.60 per $100 of assessed value.

How were tax rates determined?

According to the town, some services residents receive are unique to the ward they live in while some benefit residents in both wards.

“All Town provided services were reviewed and deemed either local to each Ward, or shared by both Wards,” said the release.

The costs for shared services were allocated to each ward based on their share of the total tax base of Grand Bay-Westfield.

Local and shared costs for each ward were then totalled and divided by the tax base to determine the tax rate for each ward.

More details about the community’s tax rates can be found here.