A final municipal tax rate increase has been decided in LaSalle for 2024.
During Tuesday's meeting, council approved a 5.48 per cent increase, resulting in an additional $154 annually to the average household valued at $269,000.
Many of the councillors were worried about how the LaSalle Landing project would be affected by dropping the tax rate to five per cent.
Budget deliberations were held in early December where council was presented with a 6.85 per cent increase, but council had asked administration to come back with a detailed list of where reductions could be made.
Council was then presented with a five per cent increase and a 5.48 per cent increase.
To bring the increase down to 5.5 per cent there would be a deferral of staffing changes, reductions to the annual strategic plan contribution such as a reduction to transit, and a reduction of annual LaSalle Landing master plan contribution by $100,000.
To bring the increase down to five per cent would result in an additional reduction of annual LaSalle Landing master plan contribution of $200,000.
Councillor Mark Carrick says projects can be pushed back if need be in order to keep taxes low.
"If things have to be delayed a little bit, or changed up a little bit with a one year, two year, three year delay I'm okay. But getting rid of it all together, that's fine too. But at the same time, we have to slow this down. And I think five per cent is still too much, but I'm willing to go with five per cent."
Councillor Jeff Renaud says administration has been working tirelessly on the LaSalle Landing project.
"If we start taking too much money out of that plan that you created for us, we're only going to hurt ourselves. Personally, I'm happy with the things that you brought down to 5.48 [per cent]."
Councillor Anita Riccio-Spagnuolo says the community has been waiting for the LaSalle Landing to be completed.
"I'm not comfortable with another $200,000, you said possibly $300,000 of cutting more of the LaSalle Landing plans because I know that's something that our residents do want. And I know we're excited for it, the Town is excited for it, and it's something that we deserve and are anticipating for it to come to fruition."
Mayor Crystal Meloche says if the Town pauses funding towards the LaSalle Landing project, it'll be harder to start up in the future.
"We hear from our residents, and I have since I got on council in 2010, is that we've forgotten about Front Road. We finally have invested in Front Road, and if we stop now we're going to put this on pause, and who knows when we'll be able to start again because every year it's going to continue to cost us more and more to do the next project."
The nearly $50-million LaSalle Landing waterfront project will include a mix use of indoor and outdoor space, a walkable parkland, a 30,000 square foot event centre at the former Westport Marina site, splash pads, and a sports zone on the 60 acre property.
The proposed budget in 2023 was 5.25 per cent and council approved an overall tax rate increase of 3.88 per cent.