There was good news and bad news in the City of Whitehorse’s budget address Monday evening.

Well, mostly bad news, but the good news is that the proposed property tax increase – which is bad – is better than what’s happening in other cities around the country.

In the absence of Mayor Laura Cabott, who is attending a conference in Norway, it fell on Deputy Mayor Jocelyn Curteanu to deliver the budget address for 2024 during the regular council meeting.

The document is pitching a 4.28-per-cent tax increase to property owners.

“Many of you know that Whitehorse continues to be one of the fast-growing municipalities in the country,” Curteanu said.

“The city’s population is almost 32,000 people, representing more than 70 per cent of the Yukon’s population. We are the territory’s economic hub, and continue to attract new residents looking to call Whitehorse home.

“It is our responsibility to ensure our levels of service meet the expectations of residents, both old and new,” she said.

The proposed budget is more than $110.5 million.

Curteanu said the suggested tax hike would amount to a $116 annual increase to the much-talked-about “average taxpayer.”

Increases to water, sewer and solid waste collection rates are in the offing as well.

Water and sewer rates would see a five-per-cent boost under the proposed budget, while solid waste collection would rise by 4.01 per cent, Curteanu said.

She acknowledged the rates might prove hard to digest for many taxpayers, but made a valiant attempt to put the increase in the best light possible.

“We are doing everything we can to manage costs,” she said.

“The city is also fortunate that previous councils were so focused on providing excellent services in a fiscally responsible way. Thanks to their decision-making, we are able to keep our property tax rate low.”

Affordability is likely the top concern for many people, Curteanu said, as it for the city.

“Money is tight for you and us,” she said.

The document is a tribute to the city’s ingenuity in keeping the tax rate low in contrast to some other cities across Canada, she added.

“These are challenging economic times,” she said.

The most comparable city Curteanu mentioned is Yellowknife, which, she said, has a proposed tax increase of 7.2 per cent.

Edmonton residents are looking at a 6.6 per cent hike.

Curteanu also pointed to Toronto, where residents are trying to swallow a proposed 10.5-per-cent increase to taxes.

“We’re among the lowest in the country,” she said.

“When we ask residents to pay more, we also need to look internally to ensure the financial decisions we are making are sustainable for future generations.”

The city, she added, is going “back to the basics.

“This is a responsible increase balanced by the pressures we’re facing.”

That doesn’t mean the city isn’t prepared to spend money where it deems necessary.

Curteanu said it will hire a new emergency responses co-ordinator to help prepare for events such as wildfires affecting the city.

That comes in the wake of the Yellowknife evacuations last summer, which was an eye-opener for many cities and towns in the North.

“This position will give the city the expertise and advice it needs.”

A new person will be added to the water and waste team as well.

An engineer will be added to the city’s team to focus on traffic and active transportation.

“This will help guide the city’s decision-making for active transportation initiatives,” Curteanu said.

The city will spend $50,000 on designing a recruitment strategy to attract firefighters to the city.

It also plans on hiring a reconciliation specialist.

“There is still lot of work to be done,” Curteanu said, saying much progress has been made already on the topic. The new hire will continue those efforts and help the city attain its objectives, she said.

The proposed budget is to be approved in late February.