Lake Country property owners will soon be receiving a letter informing them of this year's $125 parcel tax to support the district's Transportation For Tomorrow plan.
This year is the first year of the funding strategy to finance Transportation For Tomorrow and all property owners will have to pay the parcel tax under the plan.
Two new projects are set to begin construction this spring and summer under the transportation plan as tenders have now closed on the projects on Woodsdale Road and Bottom Wood Lake Road.
The two projects are among four that will help connect communities and provide safer routes to schools and are on the books for 2016.
The two that will begin earliest are:
•Woodsdale Road Construction (Beginning of April to end of July)
-New dedicated cycling lanes
-Construction of paved pedestrian pathways with traffic separation
-Upgrade of road and drainage systems to prevent isolated flooding
-Installation of new sewer force main and new lift station at Seymour Road for operational effectiveness
Other projects slated for 2016 include work on Sherman Road and on the Greenhow Road pathway.
•Bottom Wood Lake Road between Lodge and Berry roads (End of June to beginning Sept.)
-New pathways with street lighting and traffic separation that match existing pathways.
-New dedicated cycle lans for better and safer routes for cyclists
-Road and drainage upgrades
-New Taiji Ct. intersection to provide safer access for residents, pedestrians and Canada Post box users
-Landscaping to match current environment including trees and new irrigated grass areas.
Council implemented a hybrid funding model over the next four years that includes a $125 parcel tax to every property starting in 2016 which will be supplemented with consecutive property tax increases of up to a maximum of 1.83% per year in the following three years. That equates to approximately $35 per household with an average assessment value of $500,000 and results in an approx. total $230/yr per average household increase.