Lake Country council set to advance 2025 budget

Photo: Castanet/file

Following weeks of public consultations Lake Country council is set to once again deliberate over the district’s 2025 budget and five-year capital plan.

Council will be asked Tuesday to give second and third readings to a budget that looks to add $1.453 million, or 6.45 per cent over the 2024 budget.

That would work out to an additional $169 a year for the owner of a median priced home valued at $930,000.

About 41 per cent of the proposed increase ($594,000) accounts for inflation, contractual obligations and wage increases, while 22.7 per cent ($330,000) is for policing.

According to a tax breakdown, the average homeowner will pay approximately $2,919 in taxes this year.

The largest expense is for roads and drainage ($715), policing ($528), general government services ($430) and fire ($375).

The capital budget included $16.49 million in carry forward requests from the 2024 budget. These are for projects that, for various reasons, were not completed during the 2024 calendar year.

The five-year capital plan estimates future tax increases of approximately 6.8, six, 4.7 and 3.8 per cent through 2029 with an expected tax demand in 2029 of just shy of $30 million.

Council has until May to give final approval of the budget.