Wainfleet residents are looking at a 3.5 percent increase on their taxes this year.
Council approved the blended rate this week which includes the Niagara Region and school board taxes.
Mayor Kevin Gibson says the increase will mean an additional 40 cents a day for the average household.
Broken down further the 3.5 percent includes a 1.5 percent increase in the operating budget, a 1.98 capital levy increase, and a 2.92 percent infrastructure levy increase.
Treasurer Mallory Luey says for over three decades municipal governments have tried to keep taxes low, often resulting in increases that don't keep up with inflation. "These artificially low numbers can only be maintained by using reserves or deferring infrastructure costs temporarily, but reserves are finite and infrastructure continues to degrade and will need to be maintained regardless."
Wainfleet staff says the infrastructure gap in Wainfleet is more than $20 million dollars.