In five years, the rural municipality of Corman Park has seen its education tax almost double.
The rural area surrounding Saskatoon, which includes parts of three school divisions, used to contribute $3.7 million in education tax.
Now, it’s $7.2 million.
“We’re looking at one RM coughing up $4.5 million more per year to fund education,” said reeve Ed Hobday. “We’ve got a considerable number of people in the RM who are attempting to communicate their dissatisfaction with that to the appropriate minister.”
One of those is municipal affairs minister Ron Osika, who spoke at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in Regina last week.
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But Osika had no answer to the perennial SARM question of what to do about education tax on property.
Gary Hoppe said it’s taking too long.
“We know the system isn’t fair. You know the system isn’t fair,” the RM of Glenside councillor told Osika. “Can you tell us why, even at this late date, the province seems to be so unwilling for so long to seriously address the question?”
Osika said the issue is being addressed.
Delegates were concerned about rising education taxes, due largely to property reassessment.
Jim Hipkin, reeve in the RM of Lumsden, said people have moved from nearby Regina and purchased acreages or quarter sections for large amounts of money.
That pushed up the assessment, resulted in the loss of the foundation operating grant for the local school division and caused hardship for people who have been farming in the area for years.
Osika said he hears the growing concern about the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency.
He recently presented a number of options to SARM, the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association and the Saskatchewan School Trustees Association regarding the governance and financing of the assessment agency.
“It does not go unnoticed,” he said.
Sinclair Harrison, president of SARM, said the board had just received details on the options and had not had a chance to review them.
Meanwhile, delegates passed several resolutions calling for the continuation of the education tax rebate on farmland. The program is in its final year.
They want the rebate increased to 40 percent from 25 percent, and to have the administrative work done at RM offices.
