A 6.77 per cent property tax increase was approved by Fort Saskatchewan City Council Tuesday.

A big part of that increase is the hike in education fees assessed by the provincial government. This portion of local property taxes rose by 10.02 per cent.

The municipal portion of property taxes — the part controlled by City Council — rose by 5.4 per cent.

The final total result should amount to a $230 increase for most Fort Saskatchewan homeowners. This is the increase expected on the average Fort home assessed at $449,205.

The City of Fort Saskatchewan expects to raise $17.6 million in education taxes this year from both residential and business properties and $61.5 million in municipal property taxes, $46 million of which will come from business and industry. the industrial “Machinery and Equipment” tax income alone comes to $20.7 million.