Back to SearchDIEPPE, NB — Dieppe City Council adopted its $95.2-million operating budgets for 2024 at its public meeting on November 14. Of that amount, $79.1 million will go to the general operating budget and $16.1 million to the water and sewer budget.
Also adopted at the meeting were the capital budgets: $32.8 million for the general capital budget and $7.7 million for the water and sewer capital budget.
Lower tax rates for 2024
Owing to a significant tax base increase of 12.5% in 2024, mainly due to the positive reassessment of properties and strong construction growth, City Council was able to ease the tax burden on Dieppe homeowners and reduce the mill rate by 3¢. It now stands at $1.4300 per $100 of assessment. In addition, the annual water and sewer bill will remain at $948.
“Since 2022, we have been able to reduce the tax rate for our residents by almost 20¢ per $100 of assessment,” says Mayor Yvon Lapierre. “Not to mention that the water and sewer bill has remained at $948 since 2021. This is made possible by our continued strong growth and sound financial management. Dieppe continues to be an ideal location for businesses and families looking for a stable, safe and dynamic environment.”
Major upcoming projects
“Plans for 2024 include major roadwork, including the second phase of the realignment of Thomas Street, which includes a traffic circle at the Lafrance/Gauvin intersection, improvements to the Champlain/Acadie intersection, the addition of pedestrian crossings on Dieppe Boulevard, and so on,” adds Chief Administrative Officer Marc Melanson. “This is a budget that aligns directly with the priorities of City Council, our strategic plan and our master plans. We’re talking about continuing to offer the quality services our residents value, as well as investing in the environment, public transit, immigration, Francophonie and the future development of our municipality. And with the growth we’re experiencing, eight new positions will be created and hopefully filled by 2024.”
Annexation of new territory
“As a result of the Province of New Brunswick’s local governance reform, Dieppe gained over 800 new residents as of January 1, 2023,” says Finance Director Stéphane Thériault. “The City of Dieppe is therefore taking on new municipal responsibilities for some residents of the LSDs of Greater Lakeburn and Scoudouc. We’ve done a careful job of determining the tax rate that best reflects the level of shared services in 2024, which is about $0.73 per $100 of assessment.”
In keeping with the catch-up plan governed by the province, the tax rate will therefore be $0.5945 per $100 of assessment for residents of the former Greater Lakeburn LSD and $0.5177 for those of the former Scoudouc LSD. This translates into a 5¢ increase for each of the two former LSDs, plus a second rate paid directly to the province for the road-related services that the latter continues to provide.
General operating budget
Revenue sources:
Property taxes: $71.9 million
Community funding grant: $700,000
Other: $6.5 million
TOTAL: $79.1 million