Residents in Amherstburg will see a roughly $54 increase on their property tax bill this year.
Amherstburg Town Council approved the 2018 budget with a total tax increase of 1.69%. The increase represents the general tax increase, capital programs, and the estimated school board and county levy. For the average owner of a $200,000 home, that means $54.31 in additional taxes.
Mayor Aldo DiCarlo says they've made investments to increase services in planning and tourism.
"The big areas for us are I think pretty obvious for us in tourism. We did add one and half positions there because we are absolutely struggling to keep up," says DiCarlo.
The town is spending around $5-million on roads and capital projects. This year's largest road project is the reconstruction of Creek Rd. The town is also purchasing two new fire engines.
"All things considered I'm a little surprised we got the rate down that low, with the level of investment that we're committed to this year," says DiCarlo.
The budget will be formally approved at a meeting in December. The school board and County of Essex portion of the increase will not be finalized until those boards complete the budget process.
