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Surrey endorses property tax hike

The bill for the average home will be going up about $100 this year.
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Surrey council has approved an increase in property taxes by 2.9 per cent this year. Fees and utilities are also going up.

Surrey has given approval to a budget calling for a $100 increase on this year's tax bill.

Council passed the 2012 budget and five-year plan Monday, paving the way for an increase in property taxes by 2.9 per cent this year ($39 on the average home with $616,000), as well as a one-per-cent road levy ($13.50). Water increases of $16 and $18 for sewer services, along with the $15 hike in garbage fees, were also approved.

It means the total tax bill for the average home will go from $2,421 to $2,522.

Of that, $1,400 is solely property tax, with the remainder being made up of utilities and other fees.

Surrey is also planning to increase its secondary suite fee from $240 to $247.

Surrey will hire 10 more police officers beginning in October, eight new firefighters and a bylaw officer.

The city is also budgeting $85,000 to hire an "energy manager," a newly created position to coordinate several energy-efficient initiatives, known as ENERGYShift.

In total, Surrey is looking at almost $18 million in increases to its operating expenditures.

On the capital spending side, Surrey is planning $84.5 million in projects next year.

They include: city hall construction in City Centre for $31 million this year (and another $20 million in 2013); Guildford swimming pool ($16 million to launch the $40 million project); Grandview Heights pool ($14.8 million); and a community plaza by the new city hall ($6 million). Various parks and recreation projects make up the difference.

@diakiw