N.B. residents to see increase in utility and levy fees
There will be at least a $91 increase to the average home next year due to some necessary infrastructure repairs.
At last night’s council meeting, part of the budget pertaining to the Underground Pipes and Asphalt Repair (UPAR) was approved. Spending will be increased from $2.7 million to $3.3 and the money will come from taxes and utilities. Each household will see an increase of $51 on their yearly utility bills, which comes out to $4.25 a month. The other $40 will be added as a footage levy, which is assumed to be 50 feet for most residential properties.
Council’s big concern was falling behind on infrastructure. Councillor Len Taylor was particularly concerned about the aging of the underground pipes.
“I didn’t know this but we have 104 kilometres of water mains in the city and 94 kilometres of sewage,” Taylor said. “We are replacing it at a rate of two kilometres per year. We still have a ways to go. Sixty kilometres of that piping will turn 60 years old in the next 10 years, which means that is where our emphasis will be.”