Saanich Council has approved a budget that hikes property taxes by 7.93%.
Mayor Dean Murdock says, like many local municipalities, Saanich is wrestling with inflationary pressures on everything from labour costs to materials.
"This is one of successive years where we've seen a larger than normal increase, which I think is a reflection of the ongoing inflationary impacts particularly in construction costs - concrete, steel, asphalt, all of the things that municipalities pay for when we're providing infrastructure," says Murdock. "Of course we also have collective agreements that were negotiated against the backdrop of a high cost of living."
Murdock suspects the average Saanich property taxpayer will pay an additional $240 compared to last year, however it will affect everyone differently.
He hopes inflationary pressures, such as constructions costs, will come down in future years. "We're going to remain diligent in trying to keep that number as low as we can."
In a separate decision, some Saanich residents will save a little money after council decided to hold off on a new fee for dumping garden waste at the municipal yard.