Parrsboro residents granted 5-month reprieve on sewer project bill

The Municipality of Cumberland has given the people of Parrsboro a reprieve on their bills to cover a cost overrun on a sewer project.

A deadline has been moved to May and residents have been granted a third payment option.

A new treatment plant and sewer lines went $4.4 million over budget in 2018.

People were being asked to decide by January if they wanted to pay their share in a lump sum of $4,900,or$345 per year for over 20 years.

"What I heard from peoplewas it was too much, too soon," said Murray Scott, the municipality's mayor. "And the other thing was they felt the annual amount was just too hard."

People now will be able to sign up for a monthly payment option. Scott said the county's bylaw will be changed to allow for monthly payments.

The cost overrun bill is in addition to new waste water charges Parrsboro residents will have to pay.

According to Scott,council has been reviewing the documents connected to the sewer project to try to ensure similar cost overruns don't happen again.

MORE TOP STORIES