Carman council has approved a budget increase of nearly $600,000 for 2019, bringing this year's total to just over $7 million.

"It was our first budget and we put a lot of thought into it, a lot of effort with the price of everything in the community," says Mayor Brent Owen.

The mill rate is up for 2019 to 1.0 mills. Prairie Rose School Division has increased their mill rate by 0.15 mills, with the municipal mill rate going up .85 mills.

Residential mill rate - 31.25; Commercial mill rate - 41.02

One highlight of the budget is the last phase of the industrial park which represents a $615,000 investment.

Owen says, "it was important that we finish some of the roads and get the water, and hydro, and sewer in, to make the lots more sellable."

Another $509,000 will help install new asphalt on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, Streets NW, and $250,000 for reliable high-speed internet (half of the $500,000 they committed in Dec 2018).

The town also plans to upgrade water lines underneath Highway 13, but Owen says "this is an early phase. It's just getting the permits in place so we can push a water line underneath the highway for the new water upgrade."

Now that the snow appears to be gone until next winter, council is looking ahead to preparing for the next big dump by replacing the town grader.

"We bought a good used piece locally to replace an older piece that we have," adding that there are no current plans for the old grader.

Other budget highlights include $36,245 in community grants, a new fire apparatus and jaws of life for the Carman-Dufferin Fire Department, and a $30,000 increase for sidewalks.