Lambton County's warden says it was important to keep this year's budget increase under the rate of inflation.
County council approved a 2022 budget of $246.9 million Wednesday morning, representing a 2.5 per cent tax increase.
Kevin Marriott said council was keeping in mind the financial strains many people are facing.
"It seems to be costing more for everything, and to increase taxes more than we need to at this time just didn't seem like the right thing to do, because we know there's worse times coming next year and beyond," said Marriott. "I'm quite happy that we've been able to do what we did here and just try to give people a break here with inflation at numbers we haven't seen for 40 years."
For a second straight year, council passed the proposed budget with no changes.
The funding breakdown allocates $82.2 million to social services, long-term care gets $44.3 million, another $35.2 million is going to infrastructure & development, and $33.5 million has been earmarked for public health.
Marriott said the county's reserve funds are being bolstered by $18.5 million. He said the long-term care commitment will probably be their biggest expense going forward with refurbishments and replacements set to take place.
"That's been foreseen to be $50 million, so the reserves we have and the lower debt puts us in a good position going forward."
The budget represents an increase of $11 per $100,000 of residential assessment, not including municipal and education taxes.
The 2.5 per cent tax increase consists of an operating budget increase of 1.9 per cent and a capital budget increase of 0.6 per cent.
The estimated $1.8 million cost to implement a roundabout at Kimball Road and Petrolia Line was deferred for the second year in a row to the 2023 budget.
St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold and Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley voted against the budget.
"I want to make it clear that I can not support money going to the Strathroy hospital, if we are not going to support our local hospital that we voted on," said Loosley. "To not even discuss the issue is a little disappointing, making me feel that this county council does not support our local hospital."
Council approved giving Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital $1.05-million over ten years in 2018 for the purchase of a new x-ray suite for diagnostic imaging.
A decision was made last November not to consider any capital grant requests in 2022, which was upheld.
Councillor Dave Boushy was absent from Wednesday's budget deliberations.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves