The Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa will move ahead with a differential taxation system for the upcoming budget year.

 

Although council is still talking about the positives and the negatives of differential versus harmonized mill rates and it will come back up at a public meeting set for May 11th.

 

“Council has an obligation to look at what is best for ratepayers across the municipality” said Mayor Dave Kreklewich.

 

A petition, supporting differential taxation, had been circulating in the municipality and was signed by about 100 people.

 

Kreklewich says right now using the differential system rural ratepayers will see a tax hike of 7% and urban residents .04%. He added under a harmonized mill rate system rural ratepayers would have noticed a tax hike of only 4%.

 

“There just isn't an appetite to move towards the harmonized mill rate system at this time” said Kreklewich.

 

As it stands council will introduce a balanced budget using the differential system.

 

Amalgamated municipalities have until 2022 to switch over to the harmonized mill rate system.