Councillors in Saint Andrews have passed the town’s 2025 budget, but the vote was not a unanimous one.
The $8-million budget includes tax rate cuts of up to 6.7 cents, depending on where you live in the municipailty.
Coun. Mark Bennett and Coun. Darrell Weare voted against the budget during Monday’s council meeting.
Both have been vocal about possible increases to the tax rate in Chamcook and Bayside – the newly amalgamated areas to Saint Andrews.
The province proposed steeply increasing the tax rate of those areas to fall in line with Saint Andrews, which receives more services.
In the end, tax rates were set at $1.0506 per $100 of assessment in Saint Andrews, a drop of 6.7 cents, while Chamcook and Bayside saw their rates drop by nearly 4.2 cents to 53.95 cents.
However, both Chamcook and Bayside also face a DTI fee through the province for road maintenance, bringing their total tax rate up to 96.10 cents.
“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but going back to being fiscally responsible,” Bennett said during the meeting. “At this time, I don’t feel I can support this budget as presented.”
Bennett took issue with the wellness clinic the town is subsidizing and providing free space to, but also the tourism accommodation levy, saying taxpayers living outside Saint Andrews proper shouldn’t be paying for tourism in the town.
He also felt the debt was beginning to “spiral out of control.”
“Fiscal responsibility … is important,” he said. “The only way to solve that issue with debt is if we tackle it, get tough with the numbers, and we start spending our money fiscally responsible.”
Weare also aimed at the overall budget, saying it lacked fiscal responsibility, but also contained errors.
“We cannot pass on this lack of infrastructure on to the future councils and the youth that is growing up in this town,” he said. “It is our responsibility to pay for it and do it in a fiscally responsible manner without putting taxes out of line.”
Heated budget discussion
Weare also accused the staff of structural bias toward the Town of Saint Andrews – and the old wards that don’t include Chamcook and Bayside.
“That’s why I’m having a real problem with the budget,” he said.
Coun. Annette Harland asked several questions in response to Weare’s comments, which included the structural bias mentioned by Weare. She said she understands there are further discussions to be had about allocation, but she was confident in the budget as presented.
“This budget, currently presented, is a good iteration – not perfect, we will continue the decision,” she said.
Those questions prompted a swift and heated response from Weare.
“Well, this is the third or fourth time in the last two months I’ve been told I’m out in left field, I really don’t know how to deal with it,” he said. “This is not my first rodeo.”
Weare is an accountant by professional trade and has worked with other municipalities in the past, adding he felt he had been dismissed by at least two other councillors on separate occasions.
“I’m always getting reprimanded, predominantly by Coun. [Lee] Heenan or Coun. Harland, for my views and I guess I’ve reached the point where I’m not going to put up with it anymore,” he said.
Harland apologized to Weare if he felt her comments were directed at him, and clarified she simply wanted a better understanding of the things he mentioned.
“In no way was that directed at you, I was expressing my opinion and getting clarification from [CAO Chris] Spear, so if that felt personal, my apologies.”
Coun. Heenan also addressed Weare’s accusations.
“In light of what has been said here this evening, I will assure council that I will not be hushed by fear of anyone threatening me with the way that I’ve spoken or what I’ve said,” Heenan said at the meeting.
Coun. Jamie Hirtle tried to diffuse the situation, adding he feels the budget is the best given the situation.
“I’m very hesitant to walk into this minefield right now,” he said. “What I’m seeing is you’ve been forced into a partnership under an amalgamated community that you didn’t necessarily want or at least you’re going to fight your best to represent the people that you represent as fairly as possible.”
Hirtle said he thinks they should consider themselves members of the community, regardless of the geographical boundaries – while continuing to fight for what best represents their constituents.
In the end, Mayor Brad Henderson, who attended the meeting virtually, said it was tough to watch.
“Most municipalities in New Brunswick have been dealt a tough hand of cards with municipal reform,” he said.
Henderson said he doesn’t think anyone is in left field in their arguments and said the conversation of allocation must be had moving forward – to bring equity to what is being paid for by taxpayers.
Capital budget
Saint Andrews council also approved $5.3 million in capital projects for the upcoming year during Monday’s meeting.
The town will undertake the Market Wharf refurbishment with funds from the federal and provincial governments – pending new mitigation details. It is a rough expense of about $2.5-million for the town’s share.
It will begin payments on a new ladder truck for the fire department, which cost nearly $1 million.
About $470,000 is being spent in the paving program, with the Prince of Wales Street refurbishment costing an additional $847,000.
There is also vehicle replacement for the public works department to the tune of $555,000.
With files from Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, The Courier
