The City Council approved an increase in property tax to 6.9 per cent in a Fall Budget Adjustment vote Thursday.

The approved tax hike puts the rate above the previously promised figure of 6.4 per cent during the budget debates.

In a press release after the vote, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said, “While an increase of 6.9 percent to property taxes is higher than I would’ve liked, the budget adjustments made were based on choosing to position ourselves on a stronger path forward.”

Earlier, Councillor Aaron Paquette’s proposal to raise the tax levy to nearly 10 per cent was voted down. He had suggested that the revenue would have allowed to fill up the rainy-day fund to and not take on more debt.

“Just rip off the band-aid and pay for it now. And, the rationale is because if we keep it g

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