Lambton County's 2018 budget amounts to $213-million and calls for a tax hike of just under 2%.
Council finalized the budget in Wyoming Thursday morning, making cuts and drawing from reserves, to bring the levy increase in keeping with inflation at 1.92%.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says every county and city council should be aiming toward that goal.
"I've been concerned for years that the city [of Sarnia] continues to increase way beyond the rate of inflation and then counts on the county to lower the rate, which is what happened here," says Bradley. "But the reality is the county set a goal and they stuck to that goal."
Council made almost $370,000 in cuts and took about $482,000 from reserves to reduce the 3.25% hike proposed in the original draft.
2018 debt contributions were reduced by $175,000 and $75,000 typically directed towards the Creative County Grants Program was removed this year.
Various staffing changes were also made, including a switch that will see the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership reassume its traditional role of new resident attraction, reducing the Social Planning Department budget by just over $55,000 by not filling the vacant Project Manager Immigration position.
Council didn't approve a recommended cut to road work on County Rd. 6 [Thomson Line.]
The county levy accounts for a portion of the overall property tax bill that also includes municipal and education levies.
