The Town of Quispamsis is proposing a property tax rate increase in its 2026 budget.
A special meeting of council on Oct. 30 revealed a proposed 2.18-cent increase to the rate.
The increase would help cover increased spending proposed for next year, including the transfer of $2 million to general capital reserves.
Coun. Kirk Miller said he had difficulty pouring that kind of money into reserves for projects council hasn’t discussed yet.
Miller said there will be money coming from the provincial government and if the town reduced the transfer by approximately $530,000, the tax rate could remain the same.
Deputy Mayor Mary Schryer said if a freeze in property assessments is lifted next year, it could result in a major spike in taxes for residents.
Mayor Libby O’Hara said the town needs reserve funds to be prepared for the needs of a growing community.
“We can’t guess and wait and try and catch up,” O’Hara said. “Other communities have played catch-up and it doesn’t work in their favour.”
The increase in spending is being driven by several other factors, including additional spending for the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department and the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force.
“Quispamsis does continue to allocate $587,000 for acquisition of a replacement ladder truck for the (fire) department that’s scheduled for 2027,” said chief administrative officer Ian Watson.
Watson added the budget request for the fire department includes amounts for the most recent proposal between the firefighters’ union and the fire board.
Quispamsis shares costs of the fire and police departments with Rothesay.
Watson said the entire budget looks at balancing fiscal responsibility with the desire to continue to provide a certain level of service as Quispamsis grows.
The budget includes $13.2 million recommended borrowing for 2026. Of that, $5 million is for the first phase of a new public works facility.
The remaining $8.2 million is for various street projects, including the Hampton Road Streetscape.
According to staff, there is still optimism for some federal and provincial funding to offset some of those costs.
