Finance
The Finance Department is responsible for managing all of the fiscal affairs of the Town and supporting the financial related operations of other Town departments. It collects, records, deposits and disburses all funds for the Town. The department is also responsible for development of the annual budget, long-range financial plans, assisting Town leadership with policy decisions that may impact Town finances and developing and implementing policies and procedures that serve to protect all Town assets.
Other department responsibilities include accounting, financial reporting, property tax administration, debt management, cash management, payroll and general customer support duties.
Finance is also assigned with Information Technology responsibilities including computer maintenance, network administration, data backup and recovery, software management, and technical support for all Town departments.
Taxation
The costs for Berwick's local government service to its residents, businesses, and institutions are covered primarily through the property tax. Each year, properties in the Town of Berwick are assessed property taxes that help pay for town services such as recreation facilities, parks and trails, police and fire protection and sewer systems. Council establishes Tax Rates, based on assessed values, sufficient to pay for those expenditures that are not recovered from other revenue sources.
Tax bills are issued twice per year: an interim bill (estimated at half of the current year's taxes) in April, due May 31st, and a final bill in Septmber, due October 31st.
Tax Rates (per $100 of assessed value)
|
|
2012/13 |
2011/12 |
|
Residential Rate |
1.591 |
1.620 |
|
Commercial Rate |
3.880 |
3.909 |
|
Sewer Rate |
0.117 |
0.110 |
Pre-Authorized Payments
Setting up pre-authorized payments allows the town to withdraw funds from your account monthly or semi-annually (May and October.) This payment option lets you pay your taxes in easy installments throughout the year.
The form is available in the town hall.
If you have any questions on how to fill out the form or want to know your estimated monthly amounts, please contact the office at (902) 538-4009.
Personal Property Tax Exemption
The Personal Property Tax Exemption is available to low income residential property owners living in their own homes, whose taxes are not in arrears. The exemption is granted to every person assessed with respect to taxable property in the Town of Berwick whose total income from all sources (and including the income of all other persons of the same family residing in the same household as the applicant ratepayer) for the year preceding the year for which the exemption is sought (i.e. 2011) is $24,618.00 or less (TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED EIGHTEEN DOLLARS) excluding War Veteran's Allowance or War Pension, and who is a resident of the Town of Berwick.
Application forms are now available at the Town Hall, or to download a copy of the application form click on the link 2012 Personal Property Tax Exemption Form (69.31 kB).
The Application must be completed in full and returned to the Town Hall on or before October 10, 2012
Town of Berwick
236 Commercial St
PO Box 130
Berwick, NS B0P 1E0
Contact Information
| Finance: 236 Commercial Street | ||
|---|---|---|
| Greg Towne, Director of Finance |
ph: 902-538-4014 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
| Dianne Ashton, Accounting Clerk |
ph: 902-538-4012 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Janet Small, Billing Clerk |
ph: 902-538-4009 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Anne Marie Cunningham, Billing Clerk |
ph: 902-538-4009 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |