Why Do Taxes Need to Increase?

Every year, the Town of Antigonish must create a budget that pays for everything we need from road repairs to fire protection, from recreation programs to clean drinking water. By law, the Town is not allowed to run a deficit or have a surplus. The budget must balance.

This Year's Budget

Total amount needed to run the town in 2025–2026: $11.9 million
Total investment in Capital infrastructure in 2025-2026: $22 million

Where Does the Money Go?

Click here to see your tax dollars at work.

Where Does the Money Come From?

The Town gets money from several sources:

Grants	$694,200
Service fees (sewer, waste, parking)	$3,379,200
Reserves	$216,400
Dividends	$258,000
Taxes (at 2024-25 tax rate, fire levy, deed tax)	$7,750,400
Grants in Lieu (at 2024-25 tax rate)	$1,169,400

After subtracting all the revenue, there's still $4.7 million left to cover. When there is a budget shortfall, to achieve balance, municipalities can close the gap through:

Use savings (reserves) - $1.97M
Borrow money (loans) - $1.65M
Raise taxes - $927K
Grants in Lieu don't raise in taxes - $169K

Raising taxes by the full amount would mean a jump of 30 cents per $100 of property value plus further increases to utility bills, which would be a big increase all at once. That was not the preferred option.

What is a Reserve? What Does That Mean?

A reserve is like a savings account for a municipality. It’s money set aside to help cover future expenses, manage emergencies, or save up for big projects. Just like how households might save for home repairs or unexpected bills. Reserves help ensure the town can plan responsibly and respond to surprises.

Why Not Just Use All the Reserves?

Good question! If we emptied our savings to avoid borrowing:

We’d have no financial cushion if something unexpected happens.
Our reserve levels would fall into a “high-risk” range based on provincial guidelines.
It would hurt our ability to get good loan rates in the future.

Why not Just Borrow?

Some future projects and borrowing plans could lead to further increases in taxes and utility bills.

Summary

The Town of Antigonish has made careful, strategic choices:

Raising taxes (but not as drastically as 30 cents)
Using some savings (but not all)
Borrowing just enough (to keep your future tax bills manageable)

These choices are about keeping services strong today, while planning responsibly for tomorrow.

Learn More

Want to dive deeper? Visit these pages:

Let's keep Antigonish strong, connected, and ready for the future, together.

If you have any questions or concerns, we're here to listen. Please fill out the form below:

Why Do Taxes Need to Increase?