Homeowners will have to pay about $78 more a year in taxes next year in Sturgeon County, despite protests from the mayor that the county’s taxes have risen at an unsustainable rate.

County council voted 5-2 in favour of the 2013 budget Tuesday, with Coun. Don McGeachy and Mayor Don Rigney opposed. The budget raises taxes by 5.77 per cent to pay for new roads and staff needed to support future industrial growth, particularly the North West upgrader.

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