Budget approved in Essex.
Council has passed tax increases that vary by wards, with a 1.77% increase in Wards 2 and 3 and 1.58% tax hike in Wards 1 and 4.
Councillor Sherry Bondy says there are a number of big tickets items including a new fire hall in McGregor and improvements to several roads, including Gore Rd. and the Eighth Concession.
"We're also looking to do One Beach Rd. which is what we've tried to do in the past, we haven't been able to always do that," says Bondy. "We're looking in Harrow to do Queen St. N., and in Essex Centre, Gordon and Wilson Streets, which is something that those residents have been looking forward to for a while."
She says no one wants to see a tax increase but she believes it's a fair number.
"I think those numbers are very realistic in what we're dealing with and what we're putting forward into asset management and life cycling," says Bondy. "We're seeing some exciting things. Another really big exciting thing we're seeing in McGregor is a new fire hall. We have some big ticket items we have to fund."
She says money has also been set aside to look into a new town hall.
"Right now there's $200,000 in the budget to look at possible designs and engineering for a new town hall," says Bondy. So it's ear marked in there if council should go ahead with looking at a new town hall in this term of council."
Bondy says the budget includes funds for a new position dealing with climate change.
She says 80% will be funded by the province with the town chipping in the remaining 20%.