Staff and council in Perth South are still trying to whittle down the tax increase for the budget this year.
Deputy CAO and Treasurer Rebecca Clothier says they are dealing with inflation and rising costs for everything just like everywhere else, and on top of things like salaries, wages and insurance, other costs are affecting the budget too.
"We have the rising cost of equipment that's also putting pressure on our budget. So it wasn't easy to come in with a tax rate increase that would be acceptable to council, and we actually started quite high with an 18 per cent increase," Clothier shared.
That was then knocked down to 12 per cent at this week's meeting. However, Clothier says council wants that down to 5 per cent, which she says can be achieved.
"So in 2023 we did manage to surplus just over $600,000, and we're using that money to reduce the 12.02 per cent to a 5 per cent increase. So last year, we were able to find those savings in tenders for road projects," Clothier explained.
Clothier says despite the needed tweaks, there are lots of projects on deck, including culvert replacements, road repairs, and more.
"We do have vehicle replacements, so we have some new equipment that's being purchased this year, a tandem truck, for one. So, it's really important that we continue to make those capital investments each year in our infrastructure, and capital has been very good about making sure the funds are in the budget for that," Clothier added.
Council will approve the 2024 budget at the next meeting.
