Lambton County Council has approved the 2023 budget that comes with a tax rate hike of 4.02 per cent on the county portion of property tax bills.
The $265.8 million document calls for $89.3 million to be raised through local property taxes.
County Treasurer Larry Palarchio said the budget includes $2 million for affordable housing, up from $1.2 million in 2022.
"The base budget increase for 2023, is at 2.96 per cent, that includes your operating, all your capital programs," said Palarchio. "The one additional strategic investment that we thought was worthy of a service improvement or addition is affordable housing."
Council approved an additional $100,000 for staff to conduct a preliminary design study and environmental assessment in 2023, for traffic lights or a roundabout at the intersection of Petrolia Line and Kimball Road.
St. Clair Township Mayor Jeff Agar, while pleased work will finally be moving ahead, was hoping to see it a lot sooner.
"I just want to see it move forward one way or another," said Agar. "Jason Cole [GM of Infrastructure and Development] has given the fall for a proposal and I'm good with that. Like you say it's not going to be done in 2023 anyway, so 2024 would be a good point for me."
Treasurer Larry Palarchio said the additional spending did not change the financial impact to homeowners.
"Basically the impact on the ratepayer is still approximately $18 for an assessed value home of $100,000," he said. "That figure is a benchmark, if anyone owns a home of $300,000 you multiply that $18 by three, if you own a home of $500,000 you multiply that $18 by five."
The budget also includes $15.9 million to be allocated to various reserve funds.
A motion by Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley to include $105,000 for Bluewater Health, matching the funds earmarked for the Strathroy-Middlesex Hospital Foundation, was defeated.
Loosley, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, councillor Dave Boushy, councillor Bill Dennis, St. Clair Township Mayor Jeff Agar and Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen all voted against the budget.