Nanaimo homeowners are looking at an eight per cent property tax hike after council passed the provisional financial plan.
This will bring property taxes for the average home in Nanaimo to $2,860 next year.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog says that the city is growing, putting an increased demand on the city services, and council did what it could to control the tax increase.
“I appreciate that nobody wants to pay more. But having said that, we all want to need our services,” he said. “Imagine a city where you couldn’t flush the toilet, or turn on the water, or drive on the streets or recreate in its parks.”
Some of the key drivers in the budget are hiring additional firefighters and RCMP officers as well a $1.3 million increase to maintain and replace aging infrastructure in 2024, such as phase two of the Midtown Water Supply Project.
