The Municipality of Emerson-Franklin is working with a $6.3 million dollar proposed budget for 2018/19.

Compared to last year, that's a net difference of about $130,000 dollars, said CAO Tracey French.

The 2 percent increase is due to increase in fuel, wages, EMS and fire protective services, and general operating services.

"Even though the total budget amount, 6.3 (million), looks like it's 700,000 more than the year before, that's due to projects where outside revenue sources are being used to meet the expenditures, so they're not tax based," said French.

She added urban property owners won't see much of a change in taxes.

"For urban, there's relatively no change, however, if assessment stays the same for that property, they are looking at a 2 percent decrease," said French.

After farmland taxes were drastically impacted 2 years ago due to assessment increases, this year the majority of the farmland has stabilized, said French, so there shouldn't be much change in their taxes.

In the LUD of Emerson, however, some farmers could face a drastic increase.

"There has been a significant change in farmland in the Emerson area," said French. "There would have been a chance their taxes could have gone up 100 percent."

French spoke to the assessment branch about why this area was assessed higher than before.

"Prior to amalgamation, it wasn't part of the area assessment, and now they've taken a look at it... this is what they've come up with as fair market value based on what land is selling for and what people are paying for it."

However, French said council has reduced services for this area so that farmers can catch a break.

"What council has done is remove some of the urban-like services that people right in the town pay for as residential property owners. So they've removed some of those services to reduce the cost on LUD farm properties, so that mill rate is reducing by 37 percent."

To put that into perspective, the rest of the mill rates are only decreasing by 1 or 2 percent.

"It will definitely reduce that tax impact on the ones that are going to be getting the higher assessment values," French said.

Emerson-Franklin municipal tax dollars will be mainly spent on roads and drainage for 2018/19.

"We're still completing some road projects that we've received funding for last year, so that will carry on this year for our truck routes," said French.

Money is also allocated for equipment replacements as they come up.

Council is also looking at electronic water meters.

"Many other municipalities have gone that route, where you download them electronically and wirelessly right from the office here," French explained.

Council is applying for a grant and proposing to use gas tax dollars for this service, so there shouldn't be a fee for switching to electronic water meters.