Quispamsis and Rothesay growth rate catching up to Saint John
Saint John's suburban neighbours in the Kennebecasis Valley are closing in on the city when it comes to growth.
Over the past year, the two communities posted a combined $112 million increase in assessment while much larger Saint John showed a $126 million increase.
That amounts to a 4.1 percent increase for Quispamsis, where Mayor Gary Clark says the town has been promoting multi-unit projects.
"It's residential," said Clark. "More people are moving into Quispamsis. We've approved several apartment buildings in the area."
Clark said those include two 36-unit buildings on Merritt Hill overlooking the Kennebecasis River, a 42-unit building on Hampton Road, and a mixed single-family townhouse and apartment building complex off Millennium Drive.
Total growth in the 2019 assessment base amounts to more than $69 million.
In adjacent Rothesay, assessment growth for this year amounts to more than $42 million, with a number of multi-unit projects expected to be completed in coming months.
Saint John Mayor Don Darling showed dismay at a December council meeting while comparing the valley's growth numbers with those of the city.
"Rothesay and Quispamsis had $112 million. How is that even possible?" he asked.
Darling said the city would have the province's highest assessment base by far, the best roads and lowest taxes if the system of local government operated as it should.
"We're out of balance," he said.
Clark said he's not apologizing for the town's success at attracting development.
"We recognize that there are concerns in Saint John, we co-operate with our neighbours and will continue to do that in the future."
While pacing the city in terms of growth the two KV communities' combined assessment base of $304 million remains well behind the city's $6.7 billion.
And it's not yet clear how much the Kennebecasis Valley's assessment growth will translate into population growth.
As in Saint John, Rothesay's population declined slightly in the 2016 census.
A town official said growth in population will depend on whether buyers can be found for the homes soon to be vacated by those moving into the apartment buildings now under construction.
Quispamsis was one of the few Saint John-area communities that showed a increase in population in that latest census but it amounted to just 304 souls.
