Lunenburg Town Council approved the 2026/27 Operating Budget for the Town at its April 14, 2026, Council meeting.
The balanced Town Operating Budget is $12,054,200 for the 2026/27 fiscal year. To support capital investment and with increased pressures to operating costs the residential and commercial rates have increased by 7.9 cents and 12.1 cents, respectively. The residential rate will be $1.455 per $100 of assessment, and the commercial rate will be $3.479 per $100.
Top-line details from each of the budgets include:
2026/27 Town Operating Budget
Mandatory Expenses
Over $2.5 million of the Town’s operating budget goes toward mandatory services the Town is required to fund, including:
- Education contributions: $1.3 million
- RCMP policing services: $1.2 million
- Assessment services: $52,000
Key Highlights of the Town Operating Budget
- Sewer rates will increase by 2.1% to help cover rising costs associated with operating and maintaining the Town’s wastewater system. For residential customers, this means an increase of approximately $15.44 per year, from $735.38 to $750.82.
- Other major spending areas include:
- Transportation services (road maintenance, fleet, and street lighting): $1.73 million
- Environmental health services (wastewater and garbage): $1.73 million
- Recreation and cultural programs: $1.08 million
The 2026/27 Budget also includes a $135,000 contribution the Town is setting aside to help pay for future infrastructure work, such as possible roads, sidewalks, or major facility upgrades.
Building up this reserve over time helps reduce the need for larger tax increases or borrowing when those projects move forward. Increasing the reserve allows for greater borrowing ability and, more importantly, positions the Town to apply for larger grants by demonstrating an ability to have adequate matching funding on hand.