Peel council members have approved a $2.4 billion operating budget that is expected to increase the regional portion of property taxes by one per cent and hike the utility rate by an average 6.5 per cent next year.

The municipality’s 2018 budget approvals for operations and projects also included a $700 million capital budget.

Peel finance commissioner and chief financial officer Stephen VanOfwegen has explained the tax increase is calculated at about $9.75 for every $100,000 in assessed home value for property taxpayers in the region.

Peel Region spending — which includes budgets for police, paramedics, garbage and recycling collection, water and wastewater management, TransHelp, public health, affordable housing and social services — represents about 41 per cent of the average property tax bill.