Lake Country residents should prepare for a tax hike, but nothing is written in stone yet.

Council members looked at the proposed 2017 budget Tuesday.

鈥淚t was a preliminary discussion 鈥� our first go-around,鈥� said Mayor James Baker.

The provisional budget calls for a 3.5 per cent tax increase, with 1.5 per cent going to road infrastructure.

鈥淲ith growth in the community, we鈥檝e been able to keep the ultimate tax rate down,鈥� said Baker.

Based on last year鈥檚 average home price of $557,400, the average house would pay about $66 in additional tax with the 3.5 per cent hike.

However, district officials point out that the budget process has just started and changes could occur.

鈥淭here are always items in the budget that warrant significant discussion and this year is no different.  Those discussions start Dec. 13,鈥� said Coun. Owen Dickie.

Baker is also not predicting a 3.5 per cent tax increase at this point.

鈥淪ome wants are not necessarily needs and if council decides it doesn鈥檛 want a 3.5 per cent lift, it could be lower,鈥� he said.

鈥淏ut it would mean some things  don鈥檛 get done.鈥�

Dickie is pleased with the budget process.

鈥淲ith our master plans for waste water, water, Transportation for Tomorrow and the nearly complete parks and recreation master plan, combined with the new budget process and reserves, it feels like we really do have a planning strategy in place,鈥� he said.