Only two taxpayers showed up to Spallumcheen council's public hearing Monday on this year's proposed budget. Mayor Will Hansma says ratepayers can expect about a 1.5 percent increase in property taxes this year while a 1.5 percent revenue increase in 2010 will cover added spending. Hansma is not surprised by the small public turnout. ``Usually our budgets are not contentious,'' explains Hansma. ``For the last two years we've had a zero percent increase.'' The mayor says the big project on the books this year is the one-million dollar upgrades to Salmon River Road. He says the work could last three years. Council also expressed concern over the proposed Regional Growth Strategy. Hansma says North Okanagan Regional District staff have been asked to appear to explain some of the wording which, council feels, could lead to the loss of some autonomy. ``If we vary from the Regional Growth Strategy, let's say we change our mind on where we want to have an industrial park rather than where we have it earmarked now...then we would have to go back to the Regional Board to get their support and we have a problem with that,'' says the mayor.
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