The treasury of the Town of Brome Lake has forecasted a $2 million plus surplus this fiscal year.

The town credits the significant surplus to two reasons. The recuperation of tax from the recently sold Inverness Golf Course (the penalty of ten years of tax savings totals $275,000) and the collection of “welcome tax” (taxe de Bienvenue) from new homeowners moving into the region.

“Houses go up for sale and then two days or a week later the house is sold for prices that are very exceptional,” said Mayor Richard Burcombe.

The Town of Brome Lake also received two letters from provincial government departments confirming financial aid. The department of municipal affairs offered $502,000 in compensation for loss of revenue and supplementary loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry of transport offered $391,000 in financial assistance for road maintenance for loss due to COVID-19.

All municipalities in the province of Quebec have received financial aid from these government departments. The amount is dependent on the population of the municipality as well as the kilometres of road within the region.

“We also saw a surplus of $1.1 million in 2019, which the town used half to repair the roads and put the other half aside for the public square project that is under the first stages of construction now,” said Burcombe.