Ste. Anne taxes go down

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinetal.ca

Thanks to a forecasted surplus, homeowners in Ste. Anne de Bellevue will see their town's property taxes decrease in 2008.

Homeowners will pay $0.5188 per $100 valuation next year, down $0.04 from $0.5630 per $100 in 2007.

Town council approved its $6.85 million budget during a special meeting Monday evening, which was presided over by pro-mayor Michel Bouassaly as Mayor Bill Tierney was stuck in Toronto thanks to the snow. The revenues and expenses for 2008 are both up $476,000 from $6.37 million in 2007, with tax cuts in all property sectors.

Owners of multi-unit residential buildings with six units or more will pay the same $0.5188 per $100 valuation rate as homeowners, down just under $0.06 from $0.5759 per $100 valuation in 2007.

The commercial sector will also see their taxes go down $0.12 per $100 valuation, from $1.9 to just under $1.8 per $100 valuation. As for vacant lots, landowners will pay just under $1.04 per $100 valuation in 2008, down just under $0.09 from $1.12 per $100 valuation in 2007.

“We had a good year in Ste. Anne,” said town clerk Karl Sacha Langlois, commenting on the surplus.

Ste. Anne de Bellevue has also decided to keep the 13 parking metres along Ste. Anne Street, the town’s main drag, which are estimated to bring in about $340,000 annually, with revenues from the $1 hourly parking fee and tickets going towards the $5 million Ste. Anne Street reconstruction, which will take place between 2008 and 2009.