Property taxes for the Town of High River will see an increase this year of 4.1 per cent.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says council had wanted to keep it to 3.9 but it wasn't possible.

"Two percent of that goes directly into the community infrastructure reinvestment fund," said Snodgrass. "That is a capital reinvestment fund for existing capital that we have."

The reserve fund gives the town access to money for major things like replacing sewer and water lines under the road when they go bad instead of waiting for grant money to arrive.

He adds it cost one million dollars to do one block of utilities.

The Town owns about 600 million dollars worth of sewers, roads, sidewalks and other infrastructure that will eventually need repair and or replacing.

And point two percent of the increase is to build a fibre optics Internet service in downtown High River for businesses.

"The exciting thing about that is the Town of High River is going to do it. We are going to own it, we are going to use it and have it as a utility and use it for a revenue stream."

He says there is a similar program in Olds and they will be following what they did.

Snodgrass says politicians can be tax heroes - by never increasing taxes or you can build for the future.

"I am looking at building this community and it takes money to do that. This council wants to take care of the people that are here and give them the amenities they want and build for the future."

 

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