The 2023-2026 operating budget is in Lethbridge city council’s hands after the economic standing policy committee unanimously recommended it be approved as amended.
After deliberations throughout the week, the proposed average annual property tax increase sits at 5.1 per cent.
That’s 1.33 per cent above the base draft budget, which entered deliberations at 3.77 per cent.
“Is everyone going to be happy with this? I don’t believe they will, but you know what? It’s something I believe is best for our community considering the financial times that we’re in right now,” Mayor Blaine Hyggen said.
The proposed increase equates to an additional $129.93 per year for a single-family home, based on an average market value of $285,800.
If every recommendation before the SPC had been approved, the tax increase would have been more than six per cent annually.
By far the largest recommendation in the budget ahead of council is policing, which if approved will add nearly three-quarters of a per cent annually to property taxes.
“To come at 5.1 (per cent) and be able to address the No. 1 concern that we’ve heard throughout the community — or I have for sure — is community safety,” Hyggen said.
“So to be able to support our police and their work going forward I think is extremely important.”
Other high-priced recommendations to the proposed budget include an omnibus motion to fund six items, including the crime preventions through environmental design grant and multiple outreach programs.
Those would add 0.16 per cent a year to property taxes.
The recommendation to hire 10 non-permanent full-time parks staff would account for a 0.1 per cent increase onto tax bills.
City council could approve the budget at its next meeting on Nov. 29.
“It’s a pretty good assumption that the budget as presented to SPC has a very good chance of passing,” Coun. Rajko Dodic said.
Council is required to approve a budget by the end of this year.