The Municipality of Lakeshore's spending plan for next year will be presented to councillors at its meeting on Tuesday night.
The draft budget for 2025 is now available for public viewing, via the Municipality's budget app, which allows residents to navigate the plan through interactive charts and tables.
If the budget is adopted as is, residents will see a property tax increase of 7.66 per cent. The proposed tax, water, and wastewater rate increases would have an average monthly impact of $20.42 for property owners.
Mayor Tracey Bailey said that while Lakeshore will still have one of the lowest tax rates in Windsor-Essex, there are pressing needs that must be addressed.
"Lakeshore is facing significant financial pressures on several fronts. Our water and wastewater systems, for instance, have been underfunded over the past two decades and require investments to protect the environment, keep our drinking water safe, and provide sewer systems to meet demand," said Bailey.
Budget deliberations are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on January 23, 2025. Talks will continue on January 24 if needed.