Lethbridge council votes to approve four-year operating budget, 5.1 per cent tax increase

Lethbridge council has voted unanimously to approve the 2023-26 operating budget. That means residents will see a 5.1 per cent increase for each of the next four years. Taxes on a $285,800 single-family home will go up $129.93 a year. Council originally projected an increase of 3.77 per cent, however, Mayor Blaine Hyggen says after holding the line on property taxes during the pandemic, the increase is needed to service the growing city. “We, who are all sitting up here, we're all taxpayer