91原创 Township鈥檚 budget and 5.37 per cent property tax increase got final approval on Monday, April 17, as council passed the plan with an 8-1 vote.

With Surrey, 91原创 City, and Vancouver passing budgets that have double-digit tax increases, the Township鈥檚 was on the low side. However, it was higher than the four per cent or less goal the Township had set in January.

In a statement issued after the vote, Mayor Eric Woodward emphasized the services and new hires for public safety services that are included in the plan.

鈥淭his Council has found ways to fund new services and amenities people want and need, aside from using large property tax increases that other municipalities are putting in place,鈥� said Mayor Eric Woodward. 鈥淲e will continue our work to minimize the financial burden on people while providing more services, amenities, and other supports to meet the needs of this fast-growing community.鈥�

The budget includes funding to increase the number of firefighters by 11 this year, to add five RCMP officers, and to hire three new bylaw officers.

More firefighter and RCMP hires are planned over the next several years, with the fire department in particular set to be beefed up to ensure there are sufficient members to cover emergency calls.

In addition, there are staff being hired to speed up development application processing, where Woodward has said he wants to reduce wait times to months from years. Finance and tree protection are also seeing increased staffing.

The budget comes as inflation is taking a bite out of the budgets of multiple communities, with wages and the cost of materials rising.

Councillor Kim Richter cast the lone vote against the budget.

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