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Published: 19 June 2025

For Immediate Release
June 19, 2025

Richmond County Approves 2025–2026 Budget with No Increase to Tax Rates and Continued Investment in Community Wellbeing

Richmond County, NS – Richmond County Council has approved its 2025–2026 municipal budget, holding the line on both residential and commercial tax rates. The balanced $17.47 million operating budget reflects Council’s commitment to financial responsibility while continuing to reinvest in community priorities such as healthcare, housing, waste management, and affordability.

“Council and staff worked hard to avoid a tax increase this year because we understand the real impact rising costs are having on our residents,” said Warden Lois Landry. “Instead, we chose to focus on protecting essential services, investing in long-term sustainability, and supporting the wellbeing of our residents—especially those most vulnerable.”

Key Highlights of the 2025–2026 Budget

✅ No Tax Rate Increases
Richmond County maintains a residential rate of $0.85 and a commercial rate of $2.15 per $100 of assessment, with no increases for the coming fiscal year.

✅ Expanded Low-Income Property Tax Exemption
Council has increased supports through the Low-Income Property Tax Exemption Program, recognizing affordability challenges faced by many residents.

✅ Strong Commitment to Community Support
The County continues to offer meaningful contributions through tax exemptions for community halls, non-profit organizations, and churches, as well as an expanded community grants program open throughout the year. These investments reflect Richmond’s commitment to enabling grassroots leadership and volunteerism across our communities.

✅ Healthcare and Housing Investments
Significant funds are allocated for physician recruitment, the Strait Richmond Hospital Foundation, CBU’s new medical school, seniors’ safety initiatives, and support for housing-related infrastructure.  Council continues to prioritize the long-term health and wellness of its residents.

✅ Waste Management Upgrades and Transition
Ongoing improvements at the Waste Transfer Station support regulatory compliance and better service delivery. This year also marks the transition to in-house curbside collection, a proactive move in anticipation of changes related to circular materials and extended producer responsibility.

“This budget represents our continued focus on people and place,” said Warden Landry. “We are investing wisely today so that Richmond County remains a healthy, welcoming, and affordable place to live for years to come.”

To view the full 2025–2026 budget, please visit www.richmondcounty.ca

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Media Contact:
Warden Lois Landry
902-631-0332

pdf Municipality of the County of Richmond Press Release 2025 2026 Budget(266 KB)

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Published: 19 June 2024

June 19, 2024

For Immediate Release

No Tax Rate Increases for Richmond County – Investments in Community and Growth

Richmond County, NS – Richmond County Council approved its 2024/2025 budget at a Special Council meeting on June 13, 2024, resulting in no increases to either the residential or commercial tax rates.  The budget comes in balanced at just over $17.4 million with strategic investments in communities, health, environment, and infrastructure.

Highlights of the budget include funds for community grants to support local projects, landfill investment to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and planning for future improvements in cellular coverage. Council has made further investments with regards to Public Works to prepare our water and sewer systems to function well in the face of increasing climate volatility.

Of the $17.4 million budget, just over $5.4 million (31.3%) are mandatory costs for things like policing, education, and valuation services.  Policing and education jumped over $365,000 last year alone.  On a budget that generates approximately $104,500 in revenue for every one cent of tax charged, the pressure created by these expenses which Council must pay to the province was offset by cost savings realized through the revised service exchange agreement with the province and the increase in property values over the last year. 

Richmond County’s 2024/25 budget will be good news for many community groups who contribute hundreds of volunteer hours each year to their communities as the grants and contributions program has been slightly increased and will be open for applications throughout the year. The budget also includes significant investment in healthcare on items such as Physician Recruitment, Seniors Safety and Social Inclusion, the Cape Breton Regional Cancer Centre, and Hospital Foundations.

“Although Richmond County continues to have one of the lowest tax rates in the province, we recognize that the increase in assessment values, combined with other inflationary costs, are creating an affordability challenge for many of our residents; so Councillors unanimously agreed that a tax rate increase was not possible this year,” explained Warden Amanda Mombourquette. She further noted that “Health and wellness must continue to be a focus to ensure that our residents have access to affordable programs and services.  We also felt it was a priority to continue to make funds available for community grant applications so we can fund projects that improve our quality of life and to enable groups to leverage funding from other sources.”

For detailed budget information, visit www.richmondcounty.ca.

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Media Contact:

Warden Amanda Mombourquette

902-631-0690

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Published: 25 March 2024

PRESS RELEASE - March 22, 2024
For Immediate Release

Richmond County and Town of Port Hawkesbury Announce Manager of Energy Sector Development

RICHMOND COUNTY, NS - The Municipality of the County of Richmond, the Town of Port Hawkesbury, and the Cape Breton Partnership are proud to announce that Martin Thomsen will be the new Manager of Energy Sector Development for the two municipalities, made possible through a secondment from the Cape Breton Partnership.

As the Manager of Energy Sector Development, Thomsen will be responsible for the oversight of the strategic development of a Local Port and Infrastructure Strategy and an Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence. The role will engage with both existing and emerging industry partners and stakeholders to optimize local benefits in relation to the green energy sector.

This new three-year position will be shared jointly by both the Municipality of the County of Richmond and the Town of Port Hawkesbury and hosted administratively by the Municipality of the County of Richmond. The position is made possible with funding from both municipal partners, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables.

Since January 2023 Thomsen has been part of the team at the Cape Breton Partnership, based in Richmond County and the Town of Port Hawkesbury in the role of Innovation and Economic Development Officer and has previously worked for Highlands and Islands Enterprise, a public-sector economic development agency in Scotland.

“I’m excited and humbled to embark on this new journey with Richmond County and the Town of Port Hawkesbury,” says Martin Thomsen. “Through my work with the Cape Breton Partnership I have become very familiar with the opportunity that the green energy sector represents for the Strait Area, and I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge.”

“The Cape Breton Partnership is proud to support Martin in taking on this new exciting role with two of the Cape Breton Regional Enterprise Network’s partners to help pave the way for the green energy sector here on the Island,” says Tyler Mattheis, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “We are thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity for career development and progression through this secondment, and are excited to be part of the collaborative efforts to continue building this industry in the Strait Area, and look forward to continue working with Martin and the rest of our partners on this exciting work.”

Martin Thomsen commences in the role on 2^nd of April, while the Cape Breton Partnership will be advertising for a new Economic Development Officer for Richmond County and Port Hawkesbury shortly.

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Media Contact:
Cape Breton Partnership
Jeremy Martell, Director of Communications

902-562-0122

Left to right: Tyler Mattheis, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership, Martin Thomsen, Manager of Engery Sector Development,  Troy MacCulloch, CAO, Municipality of the County of Richmond

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Published: 14 November 2023

 PRESS RELEASE - November 14, 2023

For Immediate Release

 Richmond County and St. Peter’s Village Commission Hold First Ever Joint Public Meeting

Arichat, NS – Early November marked a first for the Municipality of the County of Richmond and the Village of St. Peter’s with an official Joint Meeting between the two levels of government on November 2^nd at Council Chambers in Arichat; the first time the two levels of government have formally met in public session.

The Village of St. Peter’s is a recognized municipal unit with elected Village Commissioners.  They operate independently of the County and provide a variety of municipal services to residents within the Village area.   Historically, the relationship between the Village and the County has been primarily limited to taxation collections and special projects.  

“Building stronger relationships with other local governments is a priority for Municipal Council,” noted Warden Amanda Mombourquette.  This work is part of the County’s larger effort to lead and engage stakeholders according to their Strategic Plan which was refreshed through community consultation last year.   

The agenda included mutually agreed upon items related to special projects, capital projects, the Canada Community Building Fund, and asset management.  All parties agreed that the discussion was productive and should be continued regularly in this public format. 

“The Village of St. Peter’s is Richmond County’s most densely populated commercial, service, and retail centre,” explained Commissioner Esther MacDonnell, Chair of the Commission.  “Residents from all areas of the County rely on us for everything from medical services to banking to groceries, she explained. Warden Mombourquette agreed, “It’s in the best interest of all residents that both levels of government plan for and invest in continuous improvement of the Village core area.”

The joint meeting was a first for the Municipal Council and the Village Commission in an effort to increase understanding and awareness of the opportunities and challenges faced by both parties. The agenda and draft minutes can be found at https://www.richmondcounty.ca and https://villageofstpeters.ca.

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 Left to right: Meghan Hayter, Village Clerk, Shelley David Municipal Clerk/Communications Officer, Warden Amanda Mombourquette, Pam Martell, Village Commissioner, Deputy Warden Shawn Samson, Esther MacDonnell, Chair of the Commission, Councillor Michael Diggdon, Donnie Mariner, Village Commissioner.
Photo Credit: Troy MacCulloch, CAO

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Published: 09 June 2023

For Immediate Release

Richmond County, NS – Richmond County Council approved its 2023/2024 budget at a Special Council meeting on June 1, 2023, resulting in no increases to either the residential or commercial tax rates. The budget comes in balanced at just over $16.8 million with strategic investments in communities, health, infrastructure and growth.

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Published: 31 January 2023

For Immediate Release 

Richmond County, NS – At a Special Council meeting on January 31st, Richmond Municipal Council chose communities of interest as a top priority in putting forward a recommendation to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB). The unanimous recommendation to maintain a 5-member Council with minor changes to the boundaries of each district follows a period of public consultation and research that began in July 2022.

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