Published January 13, 2025

By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

Councillors in Saint-Armand approved the town’s 2025 budget on Dec. 30, after delaying adoption by two weeks to review last-minute changes, Mayor Caroline Rosetti told the BCN.

The 2025 tax rates were expected to be adopted at the Jan. 13 council meeting – 40.9 cents per $100 of assessed value for residential property and 38.5 cents for agricultural property. Houses adjacent to agricultural property, Rosetti clarified, will be taxed at the residential rate – the agricultural rate only applies to land and buildings used for agriculture.

Rosetti said residential property values rose by 66 per cent and agricultural property values by 56 per cent on the most recent tax roll. “A lot of people are confusing an increase in property values with an increase in taxes,” she said. “We lowered the tax rate, but it will probably result in a higher payment because property values are so high.” The town expects the average homeowner’s property tax bill to rise by about five per cent. Residents will be able to pay property taxes in five instalments this year.

“If people are not happy with their property value, they have until April 30 to contest it with the MRC,” the mayor added.

Major investments planned for the coming year include the hiring of a new fire prevention specialist, whose services will be shared with Frelighsburg, Pike River, Notre-Dame de Stanbridge and Stanbridge East. “We need someone to validate the intervention plans on all the farms … so if firefighters have to intervene, they know where the fuel tanks are, and that sort of thing,” Rosetti said.

Water quality is another ongoing issue in the lakeside community, which, like its neighbours, dealt with a series of blue algae (cyanobacteria) blooms over the summer.  The water treatment plant in Philipsburg is within Saint-Armand’s jurisdiction but is owned by the town of Bedford and supplies water to Bedford Township and part of Stanbridge Station. Bedford and Saint-Armand are jointly contributing to move the plant’s main water intake pipe deeper into Missisquoi Bay. “We are funding 45 per cent of that project, and we don’t want to put that burden on only 170 people [Saint-Armand residents who rely on water from the plant].” Budget documents estimate the town’s contribution in 2024 at about $134,000.

Beyond that major project, Rosetti said the town “cut back a lot” on infrastructure projects this year in an attempt to keep taxes down. The revitalization of the town’s dock is on hold “for the moment” while the municipality conducts further studies and applies for grants for long-awaited repairs. “We’re sticking with roads and essentials because of the new property value increase. We do have money for road work; we just need to plan for it. We’re thinking, ‘Let’s just keep the system rolling.’”

Rosetti encouraged anyone with concerns about the budget, the tax rate or upcoming infrastructure projects to attend council meetings and other public meetings organized by the town. “We give out a lot of information there; answering everyone’s questions one by one on social media takes a lot more time.”

Rosetti, a former town councillor, was elected mayor in a February 2023 byelection after the previous mayor, Brent Chamberlin, stepped down. After an “overwhelming” year, the mayor said she’s still undecided about running for a full term this fall. “I like working with the team [of councillors] we have now, and it will depend if they decide to run again. I’m still debating.”

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