Journal staff
Lambton County council has approved a 2023 budget that packs a 4% increase onto the county portion of local property taxes.The $265.8 million spending package — $89.3 million of which will be raised through local property taxes — includes $2 million for affordable housing options and $100,000 towards studying options for installing traffic signals or a roundabout at the intersection of Petrolia Line and Kimball Road.
“I’m pleased with how Council discussed and worked through this year’s budget,” said warden Kevin Marriott. "We were able to make some challenging decisions that will have a very positive impact on the County, including making the choice to invest in more local, affordable housing projects and complete a study to make an informed decision on how to proceed with changing the intersection of Kimball Road and Petrolia Line.
“I would like to thank County staff for their hard work in developing this sensible, effective budget.”
Property tax bills are comprised of three components including municipal taxes, county taxes and provincial education taxes.Council, which voted 11-6 to approve the budget, also directed $15.9 million to various reserves for large projects and unexpected emergencies that may arise.
Councillors Jeff Agar, Dave Boushy, Mike Bradley, Bill Dennis, Brad Loosely, and Ian Veen voted against the budget.