Property owners in Arran-Elderslie are faced with a 3.51 percent tax increase this year.
Mayor Ron Oswald says that is a big relief from where they started.
Originally, Oswald told town staff to put together their wish list for 2010 and council would cut it down to a more manageable level.
The first draft came in at 34 percent higher and Oswald says council almost fainted.
After making a number of cuts, Arran-Elderslie council decided to take 400 thousand dollars from the Chesley water reserve to keep the tax increase down.
It will be repaid over the next 4 years.
Mayor Oswald says the other thing that saved the town as the near zero percent tax increase from Bruce County council and the school boards.