Lambton County's 2015 draft budget amounts to $188-million and calls for a 2.8 per cent increase in the amount to be raised through taxation.
New assessment growth of only $180,000 brings the net tax increase to 2.5 per cent.
There's a reduction of over $990,000 in wages, salaries and benefits. Other factors impacting the budget are rent-related increases for the County's Shared Services Centre in the Bayside Centre and a projected reduction in revenue from provincial offenses fines of nearly $460,000.
Funding from provincial ministries is up about $418,000.
Warden Bev MacDougall says councillors are well aware of the cost of living pressures on taxpayers.
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It's proposed that over $20-million be spent on 71 capital projects including the repaving of county roads where needed and rehabilitation work on Lakeshore Rd, Bentpath Line and Egremont Rd.
Organizations seeking grants including the Lambton Children's Safety Village and Lambton College will be heard March 4.
County council budget deliberations begin March 18 and will continue March 26 if necessary.
