The Cookshire-Eaton Municipal Council adopted the budget for 2023 at a special meeting on December 19.

Cookshire-Eaton taxpayers will see an increase of 4.29% in their tax burden in 2023. Even though the municipal council has lowered the property tax rate from $0.94 per $100 of assessment to $0.66, some may see their tax bill rise considerably due to the new municipal assessment roll, which has gone up an average of 29%. Other taxpayers who are luckier will benefit from a slight reduction in their tax bill.
This is what emerged from the 2023 budget plans adopted by elected officials during a special meeting on December 19, which was not attended by any citizens. The municipality’s budget for the current year went up by $172,700, to reach the amount of $10,761,700. This increase, explained the general manager, Martin Tremblay, is mainly attributable to the rise in the cost of living.
Cookshire-Eaton Mayor Mario Gendron said elected officials have done their best to reduce the impact of the new assessment roll on taxpayers. “We worked on several scenarios to find the one that is as fair as possible,” he said, pointing out that the average increase in the assessment roll is 29% and that elected officials have reduced the tax rate by 30%. Looking at all the new property assessment rolls, one can see considerable discrepancies. The biggest increase is 235%. For example, a building valued at $186,800 and going up to $300,100, an increase of more than 60.7%, will suffer an increase in its tax burden of more than $420. On the other hand, a building valued at $276,800 and rising to $303,900, an increase of 9.8%, will result in a decrease of $406 on the municipal tax bill. According to the Director General, 60% of taxpayers will experience a reduction in their tax burden while 40% will experience an increase.
Taxes
The municipality changed its method of calculation this year by excluding 50% of the waste and recycling tax, which was based on the property value, in order to establish a fixed cost. The rest should be carried out gradually over the next few years. In terms of taxation, all the forms of taxes, including that of the agglomeration, are included within the increase of 4.29%. Among them, we find the tax for sewers, which increased by $43, up to $229. This increase is attributable to the emptying of the purification basins, he explained. The water tax remains stable. The tax for garbage collection is $105, recycling is $45, and compost has gone up $10 to reach $86. The increase for picking up the compost is explained by the acquisition of a new truck. In addition, the cost for emptying septic tanks has jumped from $33 to $110. The Director General clarified that the amounts correspond to the actual costs of the services offered.
Satisfied
Given the current context with an inflation rate of close to 7%, Mayor Gendron considered that the 4.29% increase is not high. “We are satisfied. On the other hand, we do not have much room for manoeuvre.” To have a meaningful margin of manoeuvre, the mayor added, a 7% increase would be needed, something the municipal council was not prepared to do.
Three-Year Plan
During the evening on December 19, municipal authorities presented the 2023-2025 three-year plan at a cost of $9,711,521. Of course, carrying out the plan is conditional on obtaining government subsidies. Among the main projects planned for this year, valued at $3.8 million, are maintenance work on the dam in Sawyerville ($900,000), research into water at the Johnville ecoforest park, catchment wells and a filtration building ($1.3 million) and the upgrade of the three skating rinks in the Cookshire, Sawyerville and Johnville sectors ($750,000).
Residential Development
Residential development is one of the concerns of the Municipal Council and Mayor Gendron. With this in mind, they would like to attract promoters likely to stimulate the development of multiple-dwelling buildings. The Municipality has some four lots in the Boisé de Cookshire area and is willing to sell them. It also owns four lots in the Birchton area and would like to sell them, asking that a single-family residence be built within a two-year period. In Sawyerville, the Municipality owns land located right next to the fire hall and they would like to see a six-unit building constructed there. In addition to the project to develop a street in the Johnville sector and the development of the Maheux sector, the Municipality has two large commercial lots located on the site of the former community hall, overlooking Route 251. They would like to sell them to promote local businesses, said Mayor Gendron.
On the other hand, the latter is proud to recall the construction of a new 63-place daycare center which will be located just behind the church in Johnville. The $2.4 million project, entirely paid for by the Ministry of the Family, should be completed by next fall.
Agglomeration
On another note, the Cookshire-Eaton agglomeration council, in which the Municipality of Newport participates, in particular for the fire department, adopted the budget for 2023. The overall amount, up $14,000, went from $1,148,000 to $1,162,000. Newport’s share, up $10,000, is $236,000. However, although Newport accepts the budget as a whole, it disputes its share, considering it too high. Cookshire-Eaton’s share increases by $5,000, from $921,000 to $926,000. Note that municipal contributions are established according to the property assessment. The overall increase in the budget is attributable to the repayment of the debt for the fire halls and the interest for purchases of respiratory equipment for 2023.