Bridgewater Town Council passed its 2026-2027 budget on April 13, 2026, keeping property tax rates the same for another year while finalizing plans for major infrastructure and community service investments.
Under the new budget, residential property owners will continue to pay $1.85 per $100 of assessment, and commercial property owners will maintain a rate of $4.07 per $100 of assessment. This marks the third consecutive year that the town has frozen these tax rates.
The town has approved a total operating budget of $35,688,241, which is a 4.9 per cent increase from the previous year. A significant portion of the $31,354,750 capital budget is dedicated to a large-scale wastewater overhaul. The town has allocated $23.7 million for wastewater projects, which totals $40.6 million when combined with capital carry-forward projects. To support these upgrades, residents will see their annual wastewater rate increase to $644, which averages out to about $6.60 more per month. Recently, federal investment of $948,000 was also announced to help fund wastewater work on Jubilee Road.
Outside of infrastructure, the Town of Bridgewater has set aside $3.3 million for local recreation. This funding will support the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre, the Michelin Bridgewater Outdoor Pool, and the construction of a new fully accessible playground at Generations Active Park.
The budget also includes $298,000 to continue work on energy poverty reduction, supporting initiatives like the Property Assessed Clean Energy program and the Regional Home Upgrades Navigator. Additionally, $245,000 has been committed to economic development, which will cover a land sales marketing strategy, planning for the next phase of the Exit 12A Business Park development, and the creation of a downtown development plan.
