The 2018 budget for Quinte West was rubber stamped on Monday night.
There were no questions asked and no concerns raised as council passed a budget that sees an increase of 1.85% this year in all four wards.
On an average house assessed at $217,000 in Quinte West, the increase would add around $50 to the local tax bill a year.
The budget shows a tax increase of 24% on farm properties, industrial property will go up 4.5% and just over three per cent for commercial property.
The proposed 2018 operating budget totals just over $83 million, which is a little over $2.4 million higher than last year.
Total salaries and benefits come in at $18.5 million.
OPP costs rose only 0.7% from 2017 and council learned that policing costs had dropped from over $10 million three years ago to $8.8 million this year.
Director of Corporate and Financial Services David Clazie told council at a special meeting on March 19, all previous service levels will be maintained, while at the same time, funding will be increased to completely cover the cost of public and specialized transit to prepare for expansion.
The budget also includes $50,000 to be given to the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation to help defray the costs associated with the recently formed Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee.
There is also $40,000 included for the possibility that two new doctors might sign on to the longstanding city doctor recruitment program.
Also, in the budget is money to fund a detailed study of water quality in Oak Lake totalling $100,000.
