By Andrew de Souza

Taxes raise almost certain

Apr 12, 2011 | 6:20 AM

After months of deliberation, council has all but approved the city’s municipal taxes for 2011.

All that’s left is one more reading of the tax bylaw to put the new rates into effect. That reading should take place at the next council meeting in May.

After debating back and forth over proposed increases, council finally decided these numbers.

Overall, the municipal mill rate would increase by 3.25 per cent to 19.75 per cent up from 19.13.

In addition to the increase, the city would implement a minimum tax of $60 for residential properties and condominiums $20 for each unit in a multi-unit residential property.

Lighting it up

P.A.'s Zablocki leads Regina to victory on Day 4 at Esso Cup

25m ago

WORLD SOFTBALL

Group stages officially set for Men's Softball World Cup in P.A.

7h ago

Safety first

Safety concerns and tips surrounding discarded needles in P.A.

Apr 23, 2024

For commercial properties, a minimum tax will be implemented between $300 and $3000 depending on the value of the business’ property.

Finally, a minimum tax will be implemented on vacant lots throughout the city. The amount is based on the zoning for the particular property.

Though council passed the first two readings of the tax increase, they did not do so unanimously.

Councillors Lee Atkinson, Charlene Miller and Cheryl Ring voted against it.

She said she didn’t believe the minimum tax for businesses started too high above residential properties to be considered fair.

“I just felt that this disparity between the residents, at $60, and the base amount of the first tier of the commercial — being five times the residential—was too high,” she said.

“So I wanted to see a little more equity built in.”

Ring had backed up that claim by proposing to change the residential minimum tax to $80, and start the commercial tax at $160, but council didn’t go for it.

Councillor Lee Atkinson said the entire budgetary process for the year flawed and hence, he could not cast his vote in favour of it.

Atkinson his problem was that the budget had been delivered from administration as a “status quo” budget that required a tax increase to fund but didn’t fully explain those costs.

“If you don’t identify how you’re currently spending the dollars you’re getting, what right do you have to ask for more,” he said.

“I think it’s become much easier to pick the taxpayer’s pocket than review the current spending.”

Despite the councillor’s concerns, the budget was passed to second reading. Council could have given it third reading and made the changes into law, but did not give it leave for third reading.

That will take place on the May 3 council meeting.

adesouza@panow.com