A slight tax increase is in store for residents in Amherstburg as town council approved its 2019 budget Wednesday.

Mayor Aldo DiCarlo says residents will see a property tax increase of 1.82 per cent.

The town has budgeted $14.5 million on infrastructure spending this year, including work on roads, sewers, culverts and bridges.

Four years ago, the town was in the throes of a ministry of Municipal Affairs forensic audit into alleged discrepancies with the town’s finances.

At that time, the town only had $200,000 in cash reserves available and was $44 million in debt.

In the years since then, Mayor DiCarlo says the town has built up $15-million in reserves and is paying down its debt at a steady rate.

"We are trying to fix what has to be fixed yesterday while we're trying to fix what has to be fixed today, while we put some money in the bank so our kids aren't still paying for it in 20-30 years from now,” DiCarlo said. “And that's what we started and that's what we're continuing."

Dicarlo says two new full-time positions were created, but council turned down a proposal to hire a communications officer for the town.