Why Holding The Line On Taxes Matters When A City Is Growing Fast

Halifax is growing fast, and that momentum cuts both ways. Mayor Andy Fillmore sits down with us to reflect on his shift from Parliament Hill to City Hall, what changed, and what still needs to. He contrasts the spectacle of federal debate with the local stakes of municipal work, where a pothole or bus delay lands with real weight. That shift isn’t just tonal; it’s structural. A mayor here is one vote among many, chairing a board rather than directing a machine. That nuance matters when the city is trying to move from ambitions to outcomes on housing, transit, and affordability while the national spotlight swings toward Halifax’s defence, ocean tech, and AI clusters. The question becomes simple: how do you steer a booming city when speed and consensus rarely meet?

Transport is the pressure point everyone feels. Halifax’s commute patterns choke daily life and stall transit ridership, creating a loop where buses are stuck in the same traffic as cars. The mayor’s answer is bus rapid transit: express routes, fewer stops, priority lanes, and a rider experience that makes leaving the car at home not a sacrifice but an upgrade. Add smarter signals and a province-led congestion review of the peninsula, and the pieces start to align. Yet there’s a candid admission: some past choices dulled the street grid’s flexibility, and data shows certain restrictions increased congestion without improving safety. Rebalancing the grid while elevating pedestrian safety won’t be easy, but clarity on tradeoffs is a start.

Housing is the other lever. Halifax needs about 8,000 new units per year and is building roughly half that. Permitting speed matters, but the bigger throttle now is infrastructure: water, wastewater, and stormwater capacity in growth nodes. With defence spending poised to bring more families and higher demand, the city risks falling behind. That’s why the mayor pushes for diversified funding and private collaboration. Think ferry operators who move commuters at peak and tourists off-peak, or transit hubs that host cafes and services to offset costs and boost ridership. The goal is simple: protect core services, build more homes, and expand capacity without loading the municipal taxpayer with the full bill.

Budgets sharpen every choice. Last year’s promise to hold the tax rate flat was delivered, but this cycle opened with a stark projection: limiting increases to inflation, signed contracts, and bargaining alone would push the average bill up 10.5%. That forces a reset on what counts as core versus extra and whether beloved add-ons still fit. The mayor argues for trimming outside the mandate, protecting essentials, and modernizing revenue. The assessment cap, which tempers tax spikes, also distorts the market and shifts burdens to first-time buyers and newcomers. Reviewing that policy could unlock smarter, fairer funding while keeping Halifax welcoming and affordable. Through it all, the city’s character—kindness, a stellar waterfront, vibrant neighbourhoods, and a deep indie culture—remains the north star: growth with soul, progress with care.