The town council of Vermilion has given tentative approval to a property tax increase.
On Tuesday, the council met to go over the 2017 Tax Rate Bylaw, which would give approval to the 2017 operating and capital budgets, as well as a five year budget plan.
Vermilion’s government is requesting a 1 per cent increase in the municipal levy, resulting in a levy amount of $5,097,953. The rate change will mean an increase of 1 per cent for residential properties and an increase of 1.6 per cent for non-residential properties.
Utility rates will also be changing. The water rate will be going up by 0.5 per cent, with consumption decreased by 3 per cent. The sewer rate is going up by 1 per cent, and the recycling rate will be reduced from $7.87 to $3.00 per month for residential properties, but going up for commercial properties from $7.98 to $18.75 per month.
The rates for garbage collection will be staying the same for residential users, but commercial garbage collection will be going up from $14.92 per month to $19.24 per month. This was done in order to reflect actual collection costs, according to the municipality.
The tax rates were established on an expected growth in Vermilion of 2 per cent in non-residential and 1 per cent in non-residential for 2017. The average home is expected to see an increase of $25-30 in their property taxes, though that excludes market value and the possibility of the province increasing school requisitions.
Vermilion town council will be reviewing the budget when assessments and school requisitions are available in April of 2017, and proceeding to second and third readings of the bylaw.