CBRM extends deadline to apply for low-income property tax relief

Cape Breton Regional Municipality is extending the deadline for low-income homeowners to apply for a property tax rebate to March 31.

The usual deadline to apply for the $300 tax break is Dec. 31, but only about half the usual number of applications were received this year, said CBRM chief financial officer Jennifer Campbell.

"It is doubtful that the reason is less need and more likely due to mere oversight," she said during Tuesday's council meeting.

Council voted unanimously to extend the deadline for this year.

Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger encouraged his council colleagues to share information on the tax break through their social media accounts.

"There's a lot of people that could use that and it's really sad to hear that we're down 50 per cent, so we've got to help where we can in these hard times," he said.

Coun. Earlene MacMullin agreed, saying she hoped extending the deadline would give people more time to apply. 

"I'm surprised that we were down by 50 per cent, especially since last year we raised the threshold of the household income, so I just wanted to state out loud for the record that this $300 tax exemption, or rebate off your taxes, is accessible to any household that has a household income of $35,000 or less."

CBRM first began promoting its low-income tax break in 2018, when the rebate was upped to $225 and the income threshold to apply was less than $24,000.

Campbell said staff intend to work with the communications department to promote the extended deadline and encourage applications.

Staff are also proposing next year's budget include funding to reinstate a printed citizens' guide that would include the application form, which Campbell said would be less costly than inserting the form in tax bills.

The form likely will not be available online this year, because applications have to include proof of income and that could be a security issue on the internet, the chief financial officer said.

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