The RM of Portage la Prairie has passed their 2016 budget. The document was given second and third reading at this week's council meeting. Reeve Kam blight describes it as a fair budget, noting they've increased their revenue through taxation by 0.7 per cent.

"We're very pleased with the budget. Naturally, we would have liked to see no increases, we don't want to tax anybody any more money than we absolutely have to. Unfortunately the costs continue to rise to operate a municipality the size of ours, but I think we've done a real good job and think we've been fair with the budget. We're very pleased with how things have played out."

While they're pleased with the budget, Blight admits it does come with some challenges. Like many other Manitoban municipalities, Portage saw a drastic increase in the assessed value of farmland.

"It's no secret that farmland assessment has really increased again in our municipality, and that's a large reason we were able to lower our mill rate. Unfortunately some farms will see some increases to their farm taxes, we try to keep that to a minimum, and we honestly feel we did the best we could in that regard."

Blight admits budget time is always challenge for Council, as they have to create a balance between the projects they'd like to take on, and keeping taxation under control.

"You have to understand there's only so much the taxpayers can absorb. We're trying to be very smart about that. We have a nice capital plan in place, we have a strategic plan in place on how we're going to be spending our money going forward. We've identified some key priority areas we'd like to work on and improve upon, and we try to make sure we stay within a very minimal increase, if any increase at all."

Blight notes administration has been working very hard on the budget, and credits their CAO and staff for their efforts.