Saskatchewan farmers waiting for education tax relief say they want to see it in the spring budget.
They let agriculture minister Clay Serby know that during a meeting last week.
“We’re going to be on it,” said Phil Lewis, a director of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, during the organization’s annual meeting in Regina. “We’re prepared to do a strong lobby.”
Lewis, who is from Moose Jaw, said he has confidence that the former mayor of that city has heard farmers’ voices. He is heading a review of how Kindergarten to Grade 12 education is funded.
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The recently re-elected NDP government promised during the campaign it would “bring more balance to property taxes with fairer funding for schools.”
It said it would rely on the commission, headed by Ray Boughen, for guidance.
“We’re not prepared to wait,” Lewis told Serby. “We want you to address the Boughen report in the spring budget.”
Serby did not make any promises to the delegates about when the cash-strapped government would take concrete action, but in his speech he said rebalancing is “absolutely imperative.”
APAS, in its submission to Boughen, asked for funding to be based on ability to pay.
“You could be droughted out for five years and still be expected to pay the tax,” said Lewis.
APAS is also concerned about the effect of tax reassessment in 2005. The assessment on some pastureland is expected to go up as much as 42 percent.
“The RMs can make an adjustment but it’s pretty hard to change the mill rate on the school tax,” Lewis said.
He added that farmers want the government to make them and their needs a priority.
“The government has dealt with other segments of society and left us to the last,” he said. “We want to be on the front burner.”
