HRM budget tabled, no new taxes

The Halifax Regional Municipality tabled its budgetTuesday andHalifax's chief administrative officer says residents don't need to worry about new taxes.

Richard Butts said the budgetits proposing is balanced.

"There are no tax rate increases, but I would tell you that there are assessment increases and a cap increase which has generated additional revenues for HRM."

Butts said the city had some flexibility, thanks to an increase in property values.

The value of the average home and commercial propertyin HRM went up five per cent in the last yearan extra $12 million dollars for the municipality.

The Halifax skating oval will go ahead in Halifax next winter without a rate increase after all.

"It was unnecessary to reduce capital from operating. In fact, we increased capital from operating. We did achieve service efficiencies greater than $3 million and it was unnecessary for us to access 8/10 of a cent to build the oval," Butts said Tuesday.

Butts said a few surprises were revealed once staff started crunching the numbers.

City staff also proposed that overtime hours be reduced by 20 per cent, with the exception of police officers and fire fighters.