Regional district directors are working on a budget that will raise the overall tax requisition by 15 percent, but chair Barry Pages said it won't raise the taxes paid by the average islander.That's because most of the additional money will come from managed forested lands, a separate tax classification whose assessed value has doubled in the past year, he explained."The average residential property shouldn't see much of an increase, compared to last year," he said.The proposed budget increases spending in the administration area, to cover the wages for a new treasurer position. The new treasurer was hired in January and is now working at the regional district's Prince Rupert office.The regional district also plans to collect slightly more taxes to run the islands garbage system, and will be increasing the monthly garbage fee per household to $24 from $22, Mr. Pages said. That's mostly to cover an ongoing deficit. The budget also increases the amount contributed by Old Massett to $99,000 and the amount contributed by Skidegate to $125,000. Last year, Old Massett paid $74,000 and Skidegate paid $93,000 for their share of the garbage system.Mr. Pages said the board is pleased with the way the garbage system has been working since it hired a manager, Rob Kidd, to work on the islands last year.The islands garbage system is almost the biggest item in the regional district budget. This year's budget calls for spending $847,000, and this does not include an additional amount to close a portion of the landfill. That is expected to cost around $788,000, with the money coming from reserves, a Gwaii Trust grant, and gas tax grants.The draft budget also contains a payback of almost $11,000 for Area D, Mr. Pages said. This represents the amount the regional district collected last year from Area D taxpayers for the Misty Isles Economic Development Society, a decision which was vigorously protested and which directors eventually decided to reverse."It will be reimbursed this year," he said. "The money is being given back."The money will be subtracted from the total amount of taxes to be raised from Area D, once that amount has been calculated, he explained.In the future, contributions to the economic development society will come only from the islands' share of Northern Development Initiative funding and not from taxation, he said.The regional district also collects taxes which are then spent on the QCI Recreation commission and contributed to museums and the arts council on Haida Gwaii. This year's budget will increase rec commission funding slightly. It maintains funding for the Haida Gwaii museum at $40,000, and slightly increases the funding for the other museums: $8,700 for Dixon Entrance, $8,700 for Port Clements, $3,800 for the QCI Arts Council, and $2,000 for the Delkatla Nature Centre.The biggest impact from the regional district budget will be felt in Sandspit (see separate story, this Observer). The regional district board met March 9 to discuss the draft budget, and public comments were accepted on it until March 12. The final budget will be adopted when the regional district meets in Prince Rupert March 26.