ARICHAT - After years of holding the line on tax rates, Richmond Municipal Council has passed a budget for 2021-22 that includes one-cent hikes in the county's residential and commercial levies. 

As a result, the residential tax rate for Richmond County residents will sit at 81 cents per $100 of assessment for the next twelve month, with the commercial rate rising to $2.11 per $100 of assessment.

The county was originally looking at a three-cent tax hike to head off a budget shortfall that was largely blamed on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the county's operations. However, as the result of one additional budget meeting that was requested by councilors on top of the eight meetings that had already taken place before the end of May, Richmond officials were able to limit the tax increase to a single penny in the final budget document.

Approved by a 3-1 count at a special council meeting called for June 2, the budget only received a single "nay" vote, from District Five councilor Brent Sampson. Addressing the virtual council session, Sampson declared that he was not happy with salary reductions to several municipal staff members, even though councilors also accepted reductions to various portions of their own expense allowances, including allotments for telecommunications. 

The new Richmond budget also sets aside funds for a "refresh" of the county's Strategic Plan, an assessment of the former West Richmond Education Centre school site in Evanston, a trails study, an accessibility study, a leachate study, and an inflow and outflow study for the Petit de Grat sewer system. 

Council will also increase its spending for the Cape Breton South: Recruiting For Health committee, Strait Area Transit, the office of the county's Senior Safety Coordinator, and other projects such as local museums and food banks.