Huron East council has approved its budget for this year.
Mayor Bernie MacLellan says the increase isn't fair to taxpayers, but many of the factors going into the budget are beyond the control of council.
MacLellan explains the municipal increase is 9.8 per cent but the consolidated increase, with the county and education levy included is only 4.9 per cent.
Huron East council is taking a look at all of the services the municipality delivers to see if they can do without some of them, and MacLellan adds there a number of costs that he believes should not be included in property taxes.
He adds the situation won't get any better next year because the same factors that drove the increase up this year will still be present next year. MacLellan points specifically to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund which is gradually being eliminated.
