Town News
Lunenburg Council Approves 2026/27 Town Operating Budget
- Details
- Published: Friday, 17 April 2026 11:57
Lunenburg Town Council approved the 2026/27 Operating Budget for the Town at its April 14, 2026, Council meeting.
The balanced Town Operating Budget is $12,054,200 for the 2026/27 fiscal year. To support capital investment and with increased pressures to operating costs the residential and commercial rates have increased by 7.9 cents and 12.1 cents, respectively. The residential rate will be $1.455 per $100 of assessment, and the commercial rate will be $3.479 per $100.
Top-line details from each of the budgets include:
2026/27 Town Operating Budget
Mandatory Expenses
Over $2.5 million of the Town’s operating budget goes toward mandatory services the Town is required to fund, including:
- Education contributions: $1.3 million
- RCMP policing services: $1.2 million
- Assessment services: $52,000
Key Highlights of the Town Operating Budget
- Sewer rates will increase by 2.1% to help cover rising costs associated with operating and maintaining the Town’s wastewater system. For residential customers, this means an increase of approximately $15.44 per year, from $735.38 to $750.82.
- Other major spending areas include:
- Transportation services (road maintenance, fleet, and street lighting): $1.73 million
- Environmental health services (wastewater and garbage): $1.73 million
- Recreation and cultural programs: $1.08 million
The 2026/27 Budget also includes a $135,000 contribution the Town is setting aside to help pay for future infrastructure work, such as possible roads, sidewalks, or major facility upgrades.
Building up this reserve over time helps reduce the need for larger tax increases or borrowing when those projects move forward. Increasing the reserve allows for greater borrowing ability and, more importantly, positions the Town to apply for larger grants by demonstrating an ability to have adequate matching funding on hand.
CELEBRATING LUNENBURG’S VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 15 April 2026 12:45
CELEBRATING LUNENBURG’S REPRESENTATIVE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
WHEN: THURSDAY, APRIL 23
6:00PM
WHERE: LUNENBURG & DISTRICT FIRE HALL
Each year, the Town of Lunenburg, along with the Mayor and Council, honours volunteers who make a significant impact in our community by offering their time and expertise to support local services and programs.
Join us as we celebrate these deserving volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation event. Additionally, one outstanding volunteer will be named as the Representative Volunteer of the Year and will be honored at the Provincial Volunteer Awards.
Please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
HotSpot has arrived in Lunenburg!
- Details
- Published: Monday, 13 April 2026 09:24
HotSpot has arrived in Lunenburg!
In addition to traditional coin payment, the HotSpot parking payment option is now available at all of the 200+ parking meters in Lunenburg.
HotSpot is a mobile payment platform that allows users to pay for parking and to top up their parking time by using their cell phones.
For more about parking in Lunenburg - Parking - Town of Lunenburg
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: Lunenburg Water Utility Rate Application
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 07 April 2026 12:24
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: Lunenburg Water Utility Rate Application
April 7, 2026
As approved by Council on March 17, 2026, the Town of Lunenburg has submitted a rate application to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board on behalf of the Lunenburg Water Utility.
A public hearing for this application has been scheduled by the Board for the May 27, 2026. As part of the application, the Town has requested adjustments to the current flat rate for residential customers and commercial meter rates.
What Does This Mean for Customers?
Domestic (Household) Customers: Can expect their bills to increase by $14.46 per quarter, from $170.39 to $184.85.
Even with the increase, Lunenburg’s proposed rate falls at the median compared to those of other municipality water utilities.
Commercial Customers: The proposed 8.9% to 12.5% increase will depend on service type.
These proposed increases must be approved by the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board before the can take effect. If approved, the new rates are expected to take effect in July 2026.
The Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board is an independent, quasi-judicial body responsible for regulation water utilities and ensuring that rates are fair, reasonable, and in the public interest. In this case the Board will review the Town’s proposed water rate increased to determine if they are justified and reasonable.
Please note that although the Water Utility is currently undergoing a Water Meter Installation Program, residential properties shall remain on the flat rate as the Utility accrues usage data. Residential customers can expect this process to take approximately a year, at which time the Water Utility will have to make a new application for the Board’s review for all customers rates to be based on metered usage.
Questions? Contact 902-634-4410 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
APRIL 3 RECYCLABLE COLLECTION SCHEDULE CHANGE
- Details
- Published: Thursday, 02 April 2026 13:06
Please note, Friday’s (April 3) recyclables pickup has been moved to Monday, April 6 due to the Good Friday holiday.
The complete 2026 Solid Waste Collection Schedule can be found at www.townoflunenburg.ca/garbage-collection.html
CLOSED GOOD FRIDAY & EASTER MONDAY
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 01 April 2026 12:35
Please note, Lunenburg Town Hall, the War Memorial Arena and Community Centre will be closed on Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6.
Normal hours will resume at 8:30am on Tuesday, April 7.