missionMission mayor Randy Hawes says this year’s tax increase will be between 0.65 and 2.5%, depending on how much the public would like to see added in terms of services and infrastructure.

Hawes says unlike previous councils, they won’t be trying to cut down to a zero increase.

“Not only is it not sustainable, it’s extremely foolhardy. To get there you have to compromise too many things, and they compromised things in public safety that should never have been compromised. So we’re putting them back, we’re hiring three new RCMP officers for the first time in ten years.”

Hawes says in terms of infrastructure, the District will add an artificial turf field and will replace the skateboard park.

They’ll be using money from the federal gas tax fund that was supposed to go towards moving highway 7 to Railway avenue, an idea the current council has scrapped.