Kingsville Town Council has passed its 2017 budget which includes a 2.4% tax increase in the local levy.
It amounts to a $31.52 increase on a home assessed at $200,000.
The $26-million budget sees about $10.5 million invested in capital projects.
"One of the more significant items that we are looking at is the reconstruction of Park St in Kingsville," says Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos. "It is a $2.2 million project which includes the replacement of the watermain. We also have over $1.3 million worth of work for active transportation so we are going to continue on with the next phase of the trails along Seacliffe that we started last year."
Similar to other municipalities, Santos says a major pressure in the operating budget was hydro and heating costs.
"The actual increase in hydro year-over-year is exceeding $120,000 so we are seeing a significant increase in that. If we had not done the investments into LED lights, that increase would be greater."
The town is also purchasing a new aerial truck for $450,000 and more money into reserves.