New water, garbage rate hikes to be revealed Friday

A property tax increase to help pay for SmartTrack may not be the only sting homeowners face in the year ahead. The budget committee will reveal Friday just how much more itwants ratepayers to shell out for water and garbage disposal in 2017, a figure that will likely be going up at least 10 per cent over last year, committee member Coun. Shelley Carroll said Tuesday.

That includes ahike of eight per cent in the water rate, and a minimum two per cent increase in homeowners' solid waste-disposal bills, she said.

'A lot about age'

The committee will debate the changes on Friday, and pass on itsrecommendation forcouncil's December meeting.

"There's lots of infrastructure work in 2017," she said. "In my ward there are 50- to 70-year-old pipes. It's a lot about age."

The eight per cent water-bill hike is part of an agreement councillors signed off on several years ago to boost the rate by that amount for eight years, she said.

Minimum 2% hike for garbage pickup

"As far as I know, it's that amount and no more, but I can't confirm that (it won't be more)" until the numbers are made public on Friday, she said.

As for the garbage rate, she said it will go up "at least two per cent. The number is actually higher than that."

Inflation, combined with a fixed wage hike for the private garbage disposal contractors the city hired, account for the bulk of that increase, she said.

Some will pay more, some less

However, she said not all ratepayers will face the same hike.

"Council will have to debate how and to whom we apply that increase," she said.