The Municipality of Cumberland approved a $43.2-million operating budget and a $13.3-million capital budget at a special meeting on Monday, March 30, 2026.
It was the second consecutive year that the Municipality's operating and capital budgets have been brought forward for Council's consideration and final approval prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.
The Municipality’s commercial assessment values increased about 3.5 per cent and residential taxable assessment grew by about 7.6 per cent. This growth produced about $1.9 million in additional tax revenue. This additional revenue, along with an estimated $1 million in recoveries from the new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program provided the necessary funding for day-to-day operations and allowed for the significant transfer to reserves for future infrastructure ($469,000) and fire protection capital costs ($1,900,000).
Mandatory costs remitted to the provincial government for policing, education, assessment services and provincial roads increased by an estimated $850,000 to about $14.5 million – fully one third of all expenditures. Education ($6.8 million) and policing ($ 6.6 million) took the biggest chunk of that.
The fire protection is another of the Municipality’s significant cost drivers. The municipality supports 15 volunteer fire departments in 16 buildings, operating over 90 individual trucks and pieces of equipment essential to the fire service. The Municipality also makes payments under agreements with three fire departments in Amherst, Oxford and Five Islands. The estimate this year for the fire service is $3.3 million, up $300,000 from last year.
At just over $9 million, salary and benefits costs account for 21% of operating costs.
Solid waste management, collection, and disposal increases slightly to $3.8 million.
With over $700 million in municipal infrastructure and equipment, the capital budget is also a key piece of the annual budget. The capital budget for 2026-27 comes in at $13.3 million, with the lion's share, $7.9 million, of that being spent on fire buildings, apparatus ( trucks ) and equipment.
An additional $3 million is earmarked for building upgrading, vehicles, equipment and infrastructure like sewage treatment plants.
The Municipality remains responsible, under the terms of the dissolution of the former towns, for road, street and storm water management infrastructure in Parrsboro and Springhill. The capital budget includes an allowance of just under $2.6 million for street paving, sidewalk renewal and storm water management assets. While Canada Community Building Fund (formerly gas tax) of about $1.1 million is set aside for this work, all other amounts are funded by the area rates levied in the former towns. Residential property owners in these communities pay an additional 48 cents per hundred to fund these costs.
Despite rising costs and future cost pressures, the Municipality was able to keep the overall tax rates the same as the prior year. The general residential rate remains at $1.17 per $100 assessment and the commercial general rate remains at $2.74 per $100 assessment.
Property owners in the former towns of Springhill and Parrsboro also pay area rates in addition to the general rate. The Springhill and Parrsboro area rate is $0.48 per $100 of assessment for residential and $1.19 per $100 assessment for commercial properties. These area rates are in addition to the general rates
The operating costs for our municipal sewer systems have been outpacing revenues for all three systems - Rural, Springhill and Parrsboro. A five per cent increase in sewer charges in all three systems has been implemented.
Speaking for council, Mayor Rod Gilroy said, “This budget reflects a balanced and responsible approach—maintaining stable tax rates while continuing to invest in the infrastructure and services our residents rely on every day. At the same time, we are strengthening our reserves to ensure we’re prepared for future challenges and long-term growth.”