Carman Council has approved spending of just over $5 million for 2016/17, a mere 1.02 per cent increase from 2015/16.

Finance Committee Chair Jane Swanton says members went into the budget planning process with the goal of holding the line on spending while still knocking a few items of its to-do list.

2016 saw an increase in the Town's assessment of 12.7 per cent and according to the Financial Plan Review, the difference in the Town's 2016 assessment actually rose with 'new' assessment by 15.55 per cent. This new assessment strengthened its tax base and allowed expenditures to be spread over the increased tax base.

"Some property owners are actually going to see a slight reduction in their property tax" explains Swanton.

She goes on to say that come this summer, ratepayers will see their tax dollars hard at work. Of the $5 million in approved spending, nearly $485,000 will go to road projects throughout town.

"We're going to do some more milling and overlay of a couple of streets, we've been doing that over the past few years - trying to get some of the older streets a little nicer in that area."

This includes $175,000 to do two blocks of 7th Street, which will also see some camera work and sewer lining, and $185,000 to do Boyne Crescent and 1st Avenue NW.

Additional road work involves:
Consultant fees - $29,900
Museum parking and road improvement - $30,000
Carman Elementary School (2nd Street SW improvement) - $40,000
Shop yard upgrades - $25,000

Meantime $818,576 has been earmarked as contributions to capital projects.
New town crew service trucks - $79,300
Generator for Bishop Bay Lift Station - $110,000
Memorial Hall overrun and parking lot improvements - $30,000
Stoves and Capital for Community Hall - $17,400
Industrial Park payments - $27,000
Highway #13 project - Total project cost $411,515
a) General Reserve/Community Development Grant - $279,115
b) Surplus - $337,115
c) 2014 Gas Tax - $74,000
Crossover pipes for lagoon - $75,000
Recreation Capital - $33,361
Cold Storage - $35,000

Other items included in the budget are:
Work to mural on Main Street - $15,000
Boyne Regional Library roof grant - $750
Hydro and upgrades for picnic shelter - $8,000
Railway Crossing Repair - $10,000; Concrete joint filling - $25,000
Memorial Hall sidewalk replacement - $15,000