Tuesday, December 17, the Town of Oakville Council unanimously approved increasing the town’s portion of the tax bill by 2.11 per cent, increasing property taxes in Oakville overall by 0.83 per cent, including regional and education portions. This means the owners of an average home assessed at $400,000 will pay an additional $30.24 per year or $0.58 per week for town programs, services and infrastructure renewal.

The Town says that the $296.2 million operating and capital budgets will help it maintain programs and services and provides “appropriate funding” to keep Oakville’s infrastructure in a state of good repair. One of the top capital projects influencing the 2014 budget is $2.9 million to buy new Oakville Transit buses.

While approving the budget, Town Council also approved various rates and fees for Town services, including a proposal to increase Oakville Transit fares, starting Wednesday, January 1, 2014.

Oakville Transit proposed various fare increases to help balance the municipal contribution to transit operating costs with transit fare revenues. In addition, recent provincial legislation requires it to spend more on delivering “specialized” transit services, improving access for passengers with mobility or other restrictions.

Oakville Transit says its fares, even with the proposed changes, “continue to be among the lowest when compared to other similar-sized transit agencies” in the Greater Toronto Area. It says it’s facing higher operating costs, resulting from higher fuel costs and other inflationary impacts. Oakville will continue to provide the same level of service, including free Monday transit for seniors.

The fare increase will affect the following fare media:

• The cash fare increases from $3.25 to $3.50;
• The cost to buy an adult monthly pass goes up from $99 to $105;
• The cost to buy a student monthly pass jumps from $65 to $70; and
• The cost for GO Transit “co-fares” (meaning the extra fare you pay when transferring between GO and Oakville transit vehicles) increases from $0.70 to $0.75.

All other fares remain the same.

Oakville Transit will no longer sell student tickets. Instead, it’s encouraging students to buy monthly passes or use PRESTO fare cards to pay their fares. You must use any remaining students tickets before December 31. Starting January 1, drivers will not accept student tickets on Oakville Transit buses.