Further to my earlier article about the Civic Addressing Project ( January 2005 - Issue # 86 ), HRM is continuing on towards its completion of validating civic address information. This work is being done in cooperation with the Province to improve the 9-1-1 service. This initiative will help to ensure that emergency services are efficiently directed to your property.

Staff are working with an appointed Public Safety Committee, composed of local Fire, Police, RCMP and EHS members (paramedics), to identify civic addressing issues which may create public safety concerns and to resolve them. As each community in the municipality undergoes this civic address review, any un-named roadways will be named and any duplicate street names and civic numbering issues will be resolved. While most addresses will not change as a result of these initiatives, some civic addresses will have to be modified and corrected. HRM is working together with the affected property owners to come up new names for the "Duplicate or Like-Sounding" streets and "Private Laneways/ Shared Driveways".

Civic address changes will take place in July and August 2005. If an address does change, residents will be notified at least 60 days prior to the effective date. Letters have been sent out to those property owners who are experiencing an address change due to a civic number or street name change. Those that have received letters about particular Civic Address matters are asked to reply to HRM project staff ASAP.

HRM's 2005-06 Budget will focus on transit and traffic improvements, enhanced public safety, new recreation and playground facilities and a host of community and neighbourhood projects.

 There will be no increase in the residential tax rates. It will remain the same as it was for the 2004-05 fiscal year. The tax-rates for our rural area will be $1.176 ; the suburban area $1.182, and the urban area $1.283 . The rural Commercial Tax Rate will be $2.989 whereas the Urban & Suburban areas are at $3.262 .

Over the past few years since Amalgamation, HRM has been consciously focusing its efforts on building a solid, manageable and predictable financial foundation and improving internal systems to make HRM more efficient and cost-effective.

HRM has made considerable progress in recent years reducing its debt through the Multi-Year Financial Strategy, and is making significant strides towards a "pay as you go" strategy for Capital spending.

This year's Operating Budget is $589 million; Capital Budget at $214 million, and the Capital Reserve Budget is at $57 million. The municipality's debt will reduce to $281.4 million this year, compared to $347.5 million at its peak.

Now this Budget is aimed at delivering more tangible programs and services to its residents at the community level. The Budget was developed in keeping with HRM's Corporate Scorecard, which is the alignment of staff priorities with Regional Council and citizen priorities. The delivery of these priorities must be measurable in order to determine the level of program success and citizen satisfaction.

23.9 % - Community Safety ( Police, Fire & Emergency Services )

19.5 % - Mandatory Provincial Services ( Public Education, Correctional Services, Assessment Services , and contribution to Public Housing.) 11.3 % - Capital Budget & Reserves 10.6 % - Public Works & Transportation 10.3 % - Internal Government Services

8.1 % - Debt Servicing Charges

6.1 % - Environmental Protection

5.4 % - HRM Property & Fleet

4.8 % - Library & Recreation Services
100 %

The rates for property taxation are derived by spreading the costs of services over the property assessment base for each of the prescribed areas for certain services that are deliver in each taxation zone albeit rural, suburban, and urban areas.

Here is the overall 2005 Residential Property Assessment Base for District 3 and all of HRM: