Lambton County taxpayers will pay four per cent more for taxes this year.

Lambton County councillors took just over an hour Wednesday to review the $264.9 million budget which features more money for social housing.

Councillors approved $2 million to build more affordable housing in Lambton this year – that’s an increase of about $800,000 or one per cent of the proposed tax increase.

Lambton County needs about 2,450 housing units over the next 10 years. Ideally, the county treasurer says, Lambton should be investing about $3.9 million a year to meet that need.

Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Dave Ferguson says spending money on affordable housing will save dollars in the long term including for social services and health care.

The long-standing concern about safety at the corner of Kimball and Petrolia Line is being addressed in this budget. There have been a number of fatal accidents at the corner and in 2019, then Mayor Steve Arnold requested a roundabout be considered. But staff were not asked to do a study on the corner and for the past three budget years, it was mentioned during budget but never acted on.

St. Clair Mayor Jeff Agar – unaware a study to find a solution to the problems at the corner had not been formally requested – was frustrated with the lack of action. He wanted the county to install traffic lights at the corner in 2023.

County officials said they weren’t sure that was the right option . Instead, councillors approved $100,000 for a study and engineering to be completed to help reduce accidents at Petrolia Line and Kimball Road.

Agar expects the construction would move forward in 2024.

Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley also wanted to add $105,000 into the budget for Bluewater Health. That’s the same amount the Strathroy hospital receives from the county as part of a multi year agreement to help fund equipment.

Loosely said it didn’t make sense to give money to a hospital outside the county and not to the Lambton Hospitals, which had requested funding several years ago. Bluewater Health’s request – which included cash for a helipad and cancer care equipment – was put on hold although the county did contribute $400,000 to the new helipad I 2022.

Loosley’s suggestion was turned aside, with some, like Warwick Mayor Todd Case, saying the majority of his residents use the Strathroy hospital. Case added Bluewater Health had not made a formal budget proposal and it wasn’t the county’s practice to just give cash away without a request.

And while Petrolia’s mayor wanted to provide funding to the hospital, he wasn’t satisfied with the four per cent increase. Loosley asked council to reduce the amount of cash destined for savings. He suggested instead of contributing $15.9 million to reserves this year, the county contribute $15 million.

Loosley says at the end of the budget year, there is scheduled to be $66 million in reserves. “When is enough, enough?”

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley backed the call to reduce the tax increase by one per cent. “We always walk that tight rope of (funding) reserves…but this year for most Canadians, it is about affordability. It would be a wise move on our part.”

But Treasurer Larry Palarchio cautioned the next three years are expected to be financially difficult and there are a lot of large projects – like long term care homes and affordable housing units – which will require a large amount of the county’s money.

The majority of council heeded the treasurer’s advice, including Case who worried in the next three years, the county may have to borrow money for capital projects. “If we have to go out borrowing money at seven and eight per cent – that’s going to go to affect our bottom line, too.”

Council passed budget which will pass along a four per cent tax increase. For the average homeowner, that’s about 18 dollars more for every $100,000 of assessment.