Beiseker council is getting ready to vote on a 2.5 per cent tax increase next week.
During a meeting May 27, council unanimously approved a $2.2-million budget.
The next step is the approval of the mill rate, set to come before council June 10.
“The tax increase should be about 2.5 per cent,” said Mayor Ray Courtman.
“It’s a little more than I hoped but unavoidable.”
Jo-Anne Lambert, a member of Town staff, agreed and said the raise is consistent with inflation.
The $2.2-million budget is down from last year’s $2.7-million budget.
“We had a lot more capital projects to finish,” said Lambert of the higher budget in 2012 such as the $413,000 needed to replace the firehall and $247,000 for road and street upgrades.
“We are trying to keep it as low as we possibly can without killing our programs,” she said of the 2013 budget.
Council approved approximately $250,000 in capital projects.
Highlights include a $100,000 loan to pay for the recently purchased fire truck, which councillors plan to pay back through community fundraising; $8,000 for campground work; $27,000 for a new skid-steer loader; $28,000 for upgrades to the Town office including buying newer computers; $50,000 for a sidewalk replacement program and $48,000 for a roads and street lighting project.
The remaining budget covers operating costs, which include maintenance operations, salaries, and interest payments.
