BARRIE -- After weeks of pouring over the numbers, and many long discussions about what changes were needed, Barrie council finally gave the 2020 budget the green light.

Property taxes

The 2020 budget includes a 2.96 percent increase in property taxes or $122 for the average Barrie homeowner annually.

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said it was challenging to get to that number while trying to minimize the impact on local taxpayers.

"This was a year made more difficult by those changes from the province."

With substantial provincial cutbacks, Lehman said belts had to be tightened.

"We saw a reduction to our policing funding. We saw a reduction to funding for social services, and some of the other county services."

The impact of the cuts added an extra 2.3-million-dollars to the budget or 0.95 percent to the overall tax increase.

The Ford government has said to expect more municipal funding cuts in the years to come.

"To be frank, we were able to move some things around to accommodate some of those impacts, but we heard the discussion around the table, this city can't keep doing that," Lehman said.

Water rates

Along with property taxes, water rates are also on the rise.

The average water bill will increase by $11.50 annually and the average wastewater bill by $22.96.

City services

The city put money aside for recycling, winter control, increased lifeguard service at the waterfront, and free transit for seniors on Thursdays.

Funding has also been allocated to help deal with the opioid crisis plaguing the city. Needle exchange bins and naloxone kits are being installed at city parks and in parking lots.

If services increase next year, and provincial funding doesn't, the mayor said it would be the taxpayer footing the bill.

Key projects

The new Harvie Road and Big Bay Point Road crossing at Highway 400, the new emergency services hub on Fairview Road, and road resurfacing are just some of the projects included in the 2020 capital budget.

Other projects include improvements to Dunlop Street, expanding Mapleview Drive East, reconstructing several streets downtown and improving public restrooms in city parks.