Prince Albert city hall (File photo/paNOW staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Money Matters

4.9 per cent tax increase in proposed budget

Oct 17, 2019 | 4:58 PM

P.A. city administration has released the proposed 2020 budget and are recommending a 4.9 per cent property tax increase.

For the owner of a home valued at $350,000, this would mean an additional $108 in taxes per year, or $9 a month. The rate would be the same of business owners.

The nearly 1.5 million generated by the tax increase would allow the city to run a balanced budget.

Director of Finance Cheryl Tkachuk told paNOW this kind of increase is typical in other municipalities around the province.

“They’re all in the same boat as we are, and to be honest with you, businesses are in the same category too,” she said.

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“We have an economic slump, and everybody’s affected by that.”

Last year P.A. increased the tax rate by 2.2 per cent, and on the whole, this year’s proposed budget maps very closely onto 2019’s.

“It’s very similar to the previous year, we’re not taking on any new projects, we’re not taking on any new debt, we’re maintaining services,” Tkachuk said.

The tax increase will be subject to debate and could be changed, along with the rest of the proposed budget, which include proposed spending for all city departments including funding for things like police services, arenas, and road repairs.

Deliberations begin in November with city councillors set to spend the next several months ironing out the final numbers.

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This article has been amended. A previous version stated that the tax rate increased by 3.9 percent in 2019. That number reflects the mill rate increase.

alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom