Media Releases

Council Approves 2025/26 Operating Budget – No Increase in Tax Rates

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Published: Friday, 25 April 2025 09:11

Colchester County Council has officially approved its 2025/26 operating budget with no increase to residential or commercial tax rates. This marks the seventh time in eight years that the Municipality has held tax rates steady, with only a modest half-cent increase occurring in 2019.

Residential property owners will continue to pay $0.885 and commercial property owners $2.28 per $100 of assessed value, as determined by Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC), the independent, not-for-profit agency responsible for all property assessments in Nova Scotia.

This year’s balanced operating budget totals just over $45 million, up from $42 million last year. The increase is supported by strong local growth, including new builds, resulting in a 7.63% rise in residential tax revenue and a 2.27% rise in commercial revenue, allowing the Municipality to expand services without raising rates.

The 2025/26 budget maintains support for core programs and services, while investing in critical infrastructure, economic development, and community wellbeing. Funding continues for the County’s comprehensive grant programs supporting local not-for-profit and volunteer organizations.

“Council reviews requests from many dedicated community groups each year,” said Mayor Christine Blair. “These organizations—often volunteer-run—are the backbone of our communities, providing vital services and facilities. We’re proud to continue our support for their incredible work.”

Despite increasing financial pressures, including rising mandatory contributions to the Province, Council has delivered a responsible, forward-looking budget. This year, over 43% of the Municipality’s tax revenue—$19.3 million—will be transferred to the Province to fund services such as education, libraries, policing, and assessment. Education costs alone rose by $828,000, following last year’s $973,000 increase, while policing costs increased by $434,000, building on a $670,000 rise in 2024.

That leaves $25.7 million to fund essential local services such as wastewater treatment, environmental planning, recreation, and solid waste management.

“This budget is a reflection of smart planning, strong growth, and a deep commitment to our residents. Holding the line on tax rates—while still expanding services and supporting vital community initiatives—is no small achievement. I’m proud of the work Council and staff have done to ensure we’re not only meeting today’s needs but preparing for a stronger, more resilient future.” – Mayor Christine Blair.

Joint Regional Transit Feasibility Study

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Published: Thursday, 20 March 2025 09:22

Town of Truro and Municipality of Colchester Announce Joint Regional Transit Feasibility Study

Truro, NS – March 20, 2025 – The Municipality of the County of Colchester and the Town of Truro are pleased to announce the launch of a collaborative initiative to explore the feasibility of introducing new public transit options in the region. The municipalities have retained Arcadis, in collaboration with Colliers Project Leaders, to conduct a Regional Transit Feasibility Study that aims to explore how new transit solutions can connect communities, enhance economic opportunities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve social equity throughout the Truro and Colchester region. 

This study marks an important step toward improving transportation infrastructure and fostering more sustainable and accessible mobility options. By assessing various public transit models, the project will consider how best to serve the diverse needs of residents, businesses, and visitors, with a strong focus on economic, environmental, and social outcomes. 

The municipalities are committed to ensuring that the views, ideas, and concerns of the community are central to the planning process. An engagement strategy has been developed to gather meaningful feedback from residents, community organizations, local businesses, transit users, and other identified groups and stakeholders. Community engagement will run from March to May and consist of a variety of outreach activities, including a stakeholder workshop and interviews, pop-up information centres, and two public surveys. 

"We are excited to embark on this important initiative with the Municipality of Colchester," said Cathy Hinton, Mayor of the Town of Truro. "Public input is critical to understanding the needs of our community and how best we can create a transit system that works for everyone. Together, we can develop a plan that not only improves transportation but also contributes to a more sustainable and equitable future." 

The study is expected to evaluate different models of public transit that could be implemented across the region, taking into account environmental sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility. It will also explore potential partnerships and funding opportunities, with the goal of building a transportation network that enhances the quality of life for all residents. 

"We believe this study represents a significant opportunity to enhance transportation in our region, reduce environmental impact, and improve accessibility for all," said Christine Blair, Mayor of the Municipality of Colchester. "The success of this project depends on the active participation of the public, and we encourage everyone to get involved and have their say." 

The first public survey will be open from April 1-22, 2025, and will seek insights into residents’ current transportation challenges. Further details about engagement activities will be shared in the coming weeks. 

For more information on the Regional Transit Feasibility Study or to learn how you can participate in upcoming engagement activities, please follow the Town of Truro or Municipality of Colchester's social media or visit their websites. 

Together, the Town of Truro and the Municipality of Colchester look forward to working with the community to explore innovative public transit solutions that will benefit everyone in the region. 

For more information, contact: 

Alison Grant 

Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Communications 

Town of Truro 

agrant@truro.ca or (902) 893-1434 

or 

Joanna Burris 

Sustainability Planner 

Municipality of the County of Colchester 

jburris@colchester.ca or (902) 897-3170 

Public Notice: Closure of Lower Truro Spring

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Published: Monday, 17 March 2025 09:07

The Municipality has made the difficult decision to decommission the Lower Truro Spring due to health, safety, and liability concerns. While traffic issues and occasional altercations at the site have been factors, the primary issue is that the Municipality does not own the land where the water originates and therefore has limited ability to ensure its ongoing safety. Since both the fill site and water source are leased—and these agreements are set to expire—closure has been determined to be the most responsible course of action.

Work to dismantle the site will begin soon. The public will receive at least two weeks’ notice before the official closure. We understand this may be disappointing for those who use the spring, and we appreciate your understanding as we prioritize community safety and responsibility.

Nova Scotia 2025 Property Assessments in the Mail

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Published: Monday, 20 January 2025 10:15

January 13, 2025 – Over the next few days, property owners throughout Nova Scotia can
expect to receive their 2025 Property Assessment Notices.

Assessments reflect a market value as of January 1, 2024, based on market sales and
financial data, and the physical state of the property as of December 1, 2024, including
renovations and demolitions.

Assessments are determined by Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC), the
independent, municipally funded, not-for-profit assessment authority for Nova Scotia.
PVSC determines market value using mass appraisal, the process of valuing a group of
properties on a given date using common data, standardized methods, and statistical
testing.

"The 2025 Assessment Roll reflects steady residential market growth especially in towns
outside of the Halifax Regional Municipality," says Charlene MacNeil, Director of
Assessment. "Our analysis indicates apartment buildings and manufactured homes are a
very strong market across the province."

The total value of the 2025 Assessment Roll is $190.6 billion.

"Commercially, both vacant land and industrial parks continue to show market growth,"
adds MacNeil.

This year's rate for the provincial government's Capped Assessment Program (CAP) is 1.5
per cent, reflecting the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Nova Scotia. The CAP limits the
annual increase in taxable assessment for eligible residential properties to no more than
the CPI rate for the year. About 67 per cent of residential assessments, 415,306 property
accounts, qualify for the CAP for 2025.

PVSC operates in accordance with the Nova Scotia Assessment Act and the Property
Valuation Services Corporation Act and follows internationally accepted standards for
mass appraisal.

PVSC representatives are available to discuss assessments and answer questions by
phone (1-800-380-7775) or email (inquiry@pvsc.ca). For more information, visit pvsc.ca.

Managed Urban Deer Hunt Plebiscite

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Published: Tuesday, 24 September 2024 13:53

A plebiscite will be conducted in several urban communities of the Municipality of Colchester during the upcoming Municipal Election asking residents if they support a managed deer hunt to help control growing deer populations. Similar to the Town of Truro, many communities throughout the Municipality of Colchester have experienced problematic increases in deer. These increases have disrupted local ecosystems, destroyed property (gardens and landscapes), and have resulted in numerous Deer Vehicle Collisions (DVCs) and unsafe driving conditions.

Earlier this Spring the Municipality began working with Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNR&R) in the Brookside/Bible Hill/Valley area to collect the 3-years of data required before a managed deer hunt can be considered. In 2025 data collection is anticipated to expand to the communities of Salmon River, Truro Heights, Lower Truro, and Hilden. These communities will all be included in the plebiscite during the election and will be asked to respond “yes” or "no” to the following question:

“Do you support a safely managed urban deer bow/crossbow hunt to control and reduce the urban deer population in and around your community?”

The Town of Truro spent several years in consultation with the DNR&R, researching, collecting data and gauging public opinion on how best to address their deer problem. A resulting Deer Management Strategy concluded that a controlled managed hunt is the most favourable population reduction method, in terms of effectiveness, feasibility, public cost, capacity, and time to implement. The Town, in partnership with Millbrook First Nation, has conducted several successful managed hunts since 2022 resulting in thousands of portions of protein being donated to Nova Scotia food banks through the Hunters Helping the Hungry program. A similar strategy mirroring Truro’s was adopted by the Town of Yarmouth in April of 2022.

What does a managed urban deer hunt mean?

A managed urban deer hunt is a controlled archery deer hunt, using carefully selected experienced, proficient archery hunters. These hunters operate under strict guidelines for the purpose of safely and humanely reducing the deer population numbers in select urban areas of the Municipality of Colchester for the benefit of natural ecosystems, citizen landscapes, reducing Deer Vehicle Collisions (DVCs) and an overall reduction of deer human conflict. A managed hunt would restrict the use of any firearms and would only involve bows/crossbows. The hunt would only take place in select areas of the community deemed to be safe and discreet (i.e., away from residences or places where people frequent) and a variety of necessary precautions would be taken to ensure public safety.

Sewage System Improvements in Colchester County

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Published: Thursday, 25 July 2024 15:15

Today the Province announced funding for the replacement of pumping stations in Lower Truro and Hilden, and 275 metres of sewer pipe in Brookfield and Great Village.  These sewage collection system improvements in Colchester County will help improve the reliability of services for existing homes and allow for future expansion.

“Colchester is a vibrant, proud community with a very bright future ahead - both for the people living and working here, and for those looking for a new place to call home,” said Tom Taggart, MLA for Colchester North, on behalf of John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “It’s crucial that this area has the infrastructure in place to continue to thrive and grow, and this investment will help set the course for that bright future.”

The Province will invest $973,000 in the project. An additional $973,000 will come from the Municipality of Colchester and other sources.

“The Municipality of Colchester welcomes the investments by our provincial government partners in strengthening our infrastructure to support new homes and businesses in our county. We are growing. New funding not only stretches our tax dollars to achieve more infrastructure goals, but it assists in our planning for the future,” said Christine Blair, Mayor, Municipality of Colchester.

The project is part of the Municipal Capital Growth Program, a one-time $102-million investment in projects across Nova Scotia – a historic provincial investment in municipal infrastructure.