An average tax increase of 2.95 per cent is being recommended for 2016 in the Municipality of North Cowichan.
Mayor Jon Lefebure said the municipality was considering a tax increase of 2.51 per cent in all classes.
But he said council decided at a meeting Thursday, March 3, to reduce North Cowichan’s light industrial tax rates by 15 per cent to make them more competitive with other jurisdictions in the province, which means the municipality is looking at increasing the taxes in the other seven categories by 2.95 per cent.
Lefebure said the proposed budget for 2016 is expected to receive the first two readings in council on Wednesday, March 9.
The municipality sought more public input on the draft budget for 2016 than it ever had before, Lefebure said.