REGINA – Thanks to changes six years ago to the way we pay for education in Saskatchewan, the province has another tool in its back pocket to make up for loss revenue.
Instead of school boards establishing mill rates, the province took over controlling the education property tax rate in 2009.
“It basically took a lot of authority away from local school boards because if you’re not allowed to tax, you have less say,” said Murray Mandryk, political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post. “It certainly gave a lot more control to government.”
Property owners have covered about 35 per cent of education spending, while the government has been paying for the rest. However, Premier Brad Wall hinted on Mar. 11 that it could be raised to roughly 40 per cent.
For example, homeowners paying $3,000 per year in property taxes might need to be prepared to pay an additional $150, notwithstanding any other factors.
“Half your tax bill as a property owner is education and yes it’s going to be a big hit,” said Mandryk. “It’s something the government has to fix up on a longer term basis and offer some suggestion as to what it’s always going to be.”
Taxpayers could learn more about what a long-term plan looks like when the provincial budget is delivered on Mar. 18.
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