Budget deliberations begin Tuesday evening in Amherstburg.
Mayor Aldo DiCarlo says council and administration will breakdown the 2021 draft budget which calls for a 7.55 per cent tax hike.
The proposed increase works out to an additional $185 on a home assessed at $250,000.
DiCarlo says he's expecting a challenging budget process.
"We've had some recommended high increases in the past as well because the town is still trying to get into the financial mess we were in in 2014, so I can't say the number was surprising but during a pandemic, obviously the concerns are going to be a lot higher," adding "I think once we get the meeting started we'll have a better idea as we have had years where how we've gone through the budget changed after the meeting got started," he says. "So I think the expectation is line by line and we'll see what council thinks."
DiCarlo says he has heard from residents and they are concerned with the increase because they're suffering financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think that's the biggest issue and outside of that, nobody wants to pay hire taxes and I don't know any councillor who wants to implement them, but the town again, still has a lot of financial difficulty especially in our reserves and trying to meet legislative requirements."
Tonight's meeting begins at 6 p.m. Deliberations will continue on Wednesday at 9 a.m. and on Thursday if needed.