Halifax’s budget: a political win and fiscal failure

Halifax's budget playoffs wrapped on Wednesday March 26 and Halifax has a budget! The budget itself was a political victory for our new mayor, Andy Fillmore, who promised to keep Halifax’s property tax rate flat, which the council did. However, property values went up by 4.7 percent, and so will property taxes.      Those property taxes will pay for Halifax’s $1.3 billion operating budget and $318 million. Thanks to the final debate day in Halifax’s budget playoffs, we learned more about our new council's politics than we did about the budget. The city doesn’t care for its workers, but it does care for its sports heroes and biodiversity. Some rookie councillors showed some expected inexperience, and a veteran councillor earned their first wooden spoon.