Property owners around the city could be facing a 1.7 per cent increase in property taxes next year, while water and sewer bills may rise by 6.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, garbage and compost collection are expected to remain at the same cost, though that doesn’t factor in the proposed curbside recycling collection program the city is planning to begin next year.

The costs were outlined as part of the city’s proposed $69-million operational budget for 2015, unveiled at Monday evening’s city council meeting.

Members voted to pass first reading on the bylaw after Mayor Dan Curtis presented his five-page speech, promoting the spending plan as a “balanced budget that allows us to live within our means.

“We are doing this by finding efficiencies and keeping operational increases to a minimum. We are also doing more with less. The result of this work is a lean and fiscally responsible budget for the upcoming year,” the mayor said.

The tax increase is lower than the 2.3 per cent hike the city had originally projected for 2015.

At 1.7 per cent – the same increase taxpayers absorbed in 2014 – Curtis emphasized it’s the lowest increase in the past decade.

“The average homeowner will pay $29 more in taxes next year, which amounts to 55 cents a week,” Curtis said.

“The average business will pay an extra $561 in taxes or about $11 per week.”

The increase will bring the average residential tax bill up to $2,265 from $2,227.

“Taxes help pay for roads, fire protection, recreation facilities, parks and trails, transit, planning, engineering and other operations that keep the city running,” Curtis said.

“Taxes in Whitehorse remain lower than many other comparable municipalities. And our modest tax increase will keep it that way.”

While the tax hike is less than the city had originally projected for 2015, the increase to water and sewer bills is almost two per cent higher than the 4.7 per cent boost that had originally been projected.

If it’s passed, it means that those on the city’s water and sewer system will pay $73 each month compared to the current rate of $69.

“Rising electrical costs are driving this rate increase,” Curtis explained in his speech.

“Electricity costs have risen by more than $300,000 this year. We are making some changes that will help manage these cost pressures.

“We have a new energy tracker enabling departments to review electricity and water consumption on a monthly basis, and take action as needed to address issues and make improvements.”

Also impacting costs on the system has been the need to “run the old and new Selkirk pump stations on a temporary basis as we transition to the new infrastructure.”

And there have been services added to new developments, such as Whistle Bend, the mayor pointed out.

Curtis noted residential curbside collection of waste and compost will remain the same at $10.30 each month.

What’s not known is how much residents will have to pay for the recycling program proposed in the coming year.

“The cost of this service and other details will be announced in the upcoming months, following our consultation with citizens and analysis for the program design,” the mayor said.

“The city will tender this new service, and we are currently working on this with our private sector partners in the recycling and waste industry.

“We are also committed to developing a recycling program that will be sustainable over the long term.”

While it won’t cost any more to have garbage picked up at the curb, tipping fees at the landfill are proposed to rise from $84 per tonne to $94 per tonne.

Bagged compost at the city’s compost facility at the landfill will be available at a cost of $5 per bag.

Curtis emphasized that waste services are provided on a cost recovery basis.

“All waste costs money, whether it is recycled, composted or buried in the landfill,” he said.

“We know that landfilling our waste has a high environmental and financial cost for our community. That is why we are focusing on waste reduction, and the city is working towards our ambitious goal to reduce waste by 50 per cent by 2015.”

With a goal of recovering 50 per cent of the cost of operating recreation facilities as it works to balance “fairness, affordability and community benefits,” the city is proposing to raise most rental rates at its facilities by 1.5 per cent next year, though the aquatic centre rental rate for youth groups would jump by 10 per cent to “better recover costs.”

Recreation service fees would go up by 1.5 per cent as well, including fees for the Canada Games Centre (CGC).

A summer discount is being suggested for the CGC to encourage fieldhouse rentals in the off-season.

The city would also continue to offer its 12.5 per cent discount on monthly transit passes with its Super Pass offering to those who purchase a monthly pass to the CGC.

The price for an adult monthly bus pass under the Super Pass would be $54.20 compared to $62 for the pass alone. Meanwhile, CGC monthly passes would be $49.58 per adult beginning next September.

Curtis emphasized the city’s commitment to delivering “top quality” services to citizens.

“This includes snow-clearing, road maintenance, fire protection and first response, transit, park and trail maintenance, recreation programs and a number of other important services,” he said.

Under the budget, funding would provide a new half-time position dedicated to planning and management of the city’s radio systems and other telecommunications; enhanced training for firefighters and training for water and wastewater systems operations.

“We are also transferring $12.2 million into the city’s reserve funds in 2015. We are looking to the future, and we are making choices that are financially responsible for now and the years ahead,” Curtis said.

He noted the city’s thanks for the federal gas tax and Building Canada Fund “that provide predictability and certainty for our government.”

Speaking to reporters after last night’s council meeting, Curtis praised city staff for working to keep taxes and fees as low as possible.

“We have a very lean machine here,” he said.

The 1.7 per cent boost to taxes did not come without some “pain and suffering,” he said as he pointed to the 2.3 per cent hike that was originally projected.

Projections for 2016 and 2017 show a 2.3 per cent increase for each of those years.

While a 6.3 per cent hike to water and sewer may sound like a lot, he noted it’s only $4 per month for the service that operates on a “break even” basis, with users paying the entire cost of the service.

With first reading of the operational budget approved, residents will have a chance to address council on it during a public input session at council’s Jan. 12 meeting.

A report on that will come to council on Jan. 19, with second and third readings scheduled for a vote Jan. 26.