Manitobans paying more in fees, taxes

WINNIPEG — If you feel like your wallet is getting lighter, you’re not just imagining it.

Just this week, Manitoba’s largest school division – Winnipeg School Division – approved a 3.6 per cent increase in taxes.

It may not sound like a huge increase – the school division around $40/year for a person who owns an average home in the area, worth around $171,130 – but when you total just how much taxes and fees have gone up recently, it may be surprising:

• Over the past three years, Winnipeg School Division has increased taxes by almost 20 per cent.
• The City of Winnipeg has increased property taxes more than 10 per cent in three years.
• Manitoba Hydro rates are set to go up 4 per cent this year, rounding out at about a 12 per cent increase since 2012. Those rates will likely continue to go up until 2021.
• Despite fee decreases the past two years, MPI is set to make its first rate increase in 10 years.
• The PST increased in 2013.

“I’m not averse to paying taxes, but I’m not keen on seeing it go up double digit percentages,” said one Winnipeg resident. “Not good, not sustainable.”

“Holy S*** not good,” said another. “All I can say: not good. That’s too high.”

“We actually pay some of the highest taxes here in Canada,” said Colin Craig of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “People talk about affordability but look inside your wallet and a lot of it is going to your taxman.”