KITCHENER -- Kitchener council has approved its budget for the year with extra investments in infrastructure and climate action.

The city will increase its property taxes by 2.09 per cent, a number that the city says is in line with local inflation. Kitchener says that works out to about $24 for a house valued at $309,000, the average assessed home value in the city.

That number actually comes in below the 2.2 per cent that staff recommended back in November.

Water utility services, meanwhile, will get a rate increase of 4.4 per cent, or about $50 per year for the average household.

READ MORE: 2020 Budget at a Glance

In a news release, the city says this "responsible budget" will allow for the continued development of protected cycling infrastructure, improvements to the city's urban forest strategy, enhancements to customer service and the achievement of targets in Kitchener's Corporate Climate Action Plan.

This year's budget allowed councillors to vote on funding options for a number of strategic items.

"Staff consistently heard that councillors and Kitchener residents overwhelmingly support strong climate action," a city news release reads in part.

"This feedback was included in the final budget, which included expanded funding for energy-saving upgrades in community centres and arenas, as well as the initially proposed purchase of hybrid and electric vehicles for the City’s operational fleet."

Also included in this year's budget are improvements to affordable housing.

The city has entered a partnership with Ray of Hope to help create more housing for those who need it most.

Council has taken a number of steps in the last several months to address the affordable housing crisis: this will help people left out in the cold.

In each of the past five years, Kitchener has ended the fiscal year with a budget surplus, which it says has allowed it to work on the city's debt and focus on long-term planning.

"This council recently endorsed a comprehensive long-term financial plan and also built a four-year strategic plan based on specific and measurable community priorities," said Jonathan Lautenbach, the City of Kitchener’s Chief Financial Officer, in a statement.

"This forward-thinking approach is why we’re in the strong position we now find ourselves."

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says this budget is "something that we can be proud of as a community."