Minden Hills council wrapped up its first round of 2019 budget talks last week and council will continue those deliberations later this month.

While the tax levy increase in the first draft often a sort of staff “wish list” was sitting at some 17 per cent Mayor Brent Devolin made it clear that number would have to come down substantially. Department heads were given a range of percentage increases from five to below 10 per cent to aim for the second draft of the budget. That second draft is expected to come before council at a Feb. 14 meeting.

The tax increase in Minden Hills last year was 8.6 per cent.