Kingsville council has settled on a lower tax increase than expected.
The 2021 draft budget called for a 2.8 per cent tax hike, but council was able to whittle that number down to 1.2 per cent.
Mayor Nelson Santos says several minor cuts were made and the town will be dipping into rainy day reserves to make the reduction possible.
He says, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, council was able to come in with a reasonable rate.
"Recognizing the change and the challenges that we're in. We're not operating with full services in place and we've taken measures to help reduce costs on a day-to-day basis reflective of the concerns and interests of our overall taxpayers and tax base," says Santos.
He says more than $5-million in capital projects were approved.
"We're putting a lot of infrastructure in the ground. You're not going to see too much of anything flashy, but it's the basics. Our water lines, sanitary extensions and capacity improvements with delivering of water to neighbourhoods. Those are all key investments," says Santos.
He says council gave the green light to three new positions as well.
"We have supported a new director position, a new legal position within our clerk's department and the third one was a communications person. So three were approved and to be introduced at different stages and different parts of the year," adds Santos.
The 1.2 per cent tax increase amounts to just over $20 on a home assessed at $250,000.
Kingsville residents saw a 1.4 per cent tax increase in 2020.