Property taxes are jumping in Meaford by 9.5 per cent this year.
Council approved the 2009 budget at Monday’s meeting.
The combined tax increase — with County and Education levies — is 5.3 per cent.
The average home owner will see a property tax increase of roughly 145 dollars this year.
Meaford Mayor Francis Richardson says no one is happy with a tax hike well above the inflation rate, but the town had to work on eliminating a nearly 1.9 million dollar deficit.
Richardson says the budget outlines how the town will hack away at the deficit over the next five years, and once it is gone — tax hikes will fall to the inflation rate.
Richardson was the deciding vote to approved the budget Monday night.
As part of the new budget, Meaford is going to charge for all garbage bags in the town, beginning July 1st.
Right now, the first bag is free and extra garbage is two dollars a bag tag.
The change should generate nearly 400 thousand dollars a year for the municipality.
Mayor Richardson says the CAO Frank Miele has also been instructed to do an operational review on the town staff and see if any efficiencies can be found.
His report is due this summer, with any town staff job cuts coming in the fall.