Once more the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has asked the provincial government to reduce the education taxes on farmland.
But at SARM’s recent annual convention, some rural councillors cautioned their colleagues to be careful that they don’t encourage the government to shortchange children’s education.
“If you’re going to supply a decent education, where is the extra funding if the costs go up,” said Lloyd Gillies of the RM of Snipe Lake. He was worried about a resolution that called for the government to freeze school unit mill rates.
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That resolution failed, but two demanding property tax rollbacks were passed with strong support. One said the government should freeze education tax on farmland and then reduce it by five percent per year.
The other called for farmland education taxes to be reduced and the creation of a new levying system based on income tax and non-refundable tax credits on property.
Joe Bertram, also of Snipe Lake, said he worried that convincing the provincial government to freeze or reduce the education tax on farmland might not be offset by more government money for schools.
If the money lost to a freeze or rollback was not replaced, students would suffer.
“There’s got to be something to replace it,” said Bertram. “I don’t want to lose good education because I don’t want to pay tax. … There’s no magic formula to pay for education.”
Education tax was one of the main issues RM councillors hammered on premier Roy Romanow and his cabinet during a bearpit session. SARM delegates denounced the present system, which they said places an undue burden on farmers. Provincial politicians acknowledged the problem and said they planned to have discussions about the issue with municipal officials.
“When?” demanded Ben Swystun of the RM of Parkland.
“Right now,” declared Clay Serby, the minister of education. Later Serby met with the SARM executive.
Near the end of the convention, SARM president Sinclair Harrison said the education tax issue is frustrating for the organization, because each year the membership calls for changes, but little happens.
Farmers receive tax bills they see as unfair, yet they don’t know what they can do about it, except to continue demanding changes.
“It’s an unbearable burden,” said Harrison.
