Victims of 2023 wildfires will be protected from property tax spikes as they rebuild

After months of worry and advocacy, Tricia Murray-d'Eon and her neighbours got some good news on Friday.

She and the rest of the owners of 165 resident properties destroyed by wildfires in the Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains areas of Halifax Regional Municipality and parts of Shelburne County in 2023 will not face spikes in their property tax bills as they rebuild.

"It's been very, very stressful," Murray-d'Eon said in an interview.

"We're taking it as a win, so we're pretty happy about it."

The amendments to the Residential and Resource Property Taxation Assessment Regulations create a new definition and class of property owners to recognize the homes destroyed by the fires.

Property taxes for the affected homeowners will be based on 2023 assessments, adjusted for inflation, as long as the new structures are no more than 25 per cent bigger than the square footage that was there before the fires. The measurement does not include basements.

Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr said in an interview that the buffer is intended to recognize any construction changes that might be required to address updates to the building code.

Murray-d'Eon and other affected residents have pushed for the change for some time.

Last spring, then Liberal MLA Ben Jessome tabled legislation at Province House that would have protected property owners from a spike in their property taxes, but the Progressive Conservative government would not support the bill.

During the recent provincial election, Premier Tim Houston said he was ready to provide protection to affected property owners after hearing from them directly during the campaign.

"This was the result of being on the doorstep in the constituency by the premier," Lohr said Friday.

"This is a decision on a change of tack by the premier, so we're keeping that promise."

Murray-d'Eon said she and other property owners are grateful the promise was kept and acted upon so soon after the election.

She'd like to see similar protection for victims of other natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes and any future wildfires.