Halifax council budget debate on home stretch

Taxpayers spoke up at budget discussions in Halifax on Tuesday.

It will be a week of tough decisions for city councillors in Halifax as budget discussions hit the home stretch.

Councillors will review the Budget Adjustment List (BAL), line items that will either be voted for or against, ultimately impacting the tax rate.

Council had asked staff in July to hold 2025/26 spending levels, which initially saw a 10.9 per cent increase proposed.

Mayor Andy Fillmore previously said, after some debate, the increase grew to 11.2 per cent.

But on Tuesday, staff said they found some additional savings that were brought forward and accepted without reducing services.

That would mean the budget would increase by $82 million, representing a 9.3 per cent increase on the average tax bill, staff said.

In total, 33 items were brought forward on the BAL, including 10 overs at $18.2 million and 19 unders totalling $5.9 million.

If all items were approved, the average tax bill would increase 11 per cent – but if only the ‘unders’ are approved, the increase would drop to nine per cent.

Based on the PVSC assessment, a flat tax rate would still see a 5.6 per cent, or about $147, increase on the average bill.

Tax bill increase by the numbers:

• Starting discussion: 10.9 per cent (about $283 on average tax bill).
• Today: 9.3 per cent (about $243 on average tax bill).
• Staff recommendation: 8.6 cent (about $225 on average tax bill).
• Flat: 5.6 per cent (about $147 on average tax bill).

‘Monumental amount of work’: Mayor

Mayor Andy Fillmore said there’s a “monumental amount of work” ahead, calling this a “critical week.”

He said while the new rate is better than it was, it’s “still a lot for a lot of people, still very uncomfortable for a lot of people.”

Many of the changes made for council to review won’t have much impact on future years, staff said.

As of now, next year’s (2027-28) rate is forecasted to rise 8.80 per cent, while early projections would see the following two years increase 12 per cent each year.

The budget is to be passed by the end of the month.

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