MOOSE JAW – The City of Moose Jaw has a pipe problem. Aging water main infrastructure desperately needs to be replaced.
In order to do it, the city plans on using a Local Improvement Program (LIP) that will see property owners pay for 30 per cent of the repairs themselves, which isn’t going over well with a group calling themselves Citizens Advocating Sensible Taxation (CAST).
“We either have to pay up or take another mortgage, which would be the city mortgage, and then have to pay it down over 20 years,” said CAST member Audrey Down.
Down recently turned 84 and lives on a fixed income.
The water main replacement is expected to cost $117 million. At an estimated cost of $170 per frontage foot, the average homeowner can expect a bill of up to $17,000; for businesses, that amount can reach $30,000.
“Last year we spent over $2.2 million just doing repairs. So obviously we’re long past the need of needing replacement,” said Moose Jaw Mayor Deb Higgins.
In May, city council voted to apply for to the Saskatchewan Municipal Board for a Local Improvement Project; that application was submitted in October.
On December 8, the Saskatchewan Municipal Board will hold an approval hearing at the Golden Nugget Casino, which starts at 6 p.m.
CAST argues that local improvement programs should be used for cosmetic neighbourhood improvements, but Higgins defended the use for infrastructure.
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“Those residents will benefit from the increased and improved services; water, sewers, new roads,” she said. “Those are improvements in your neighbourhood.”
Residents who are unable to pay the replacement cost in a lump sum have the ability to add it to their taxes over 20 years. Higgins estimates it would add $400 to the annual bill.
Property owners in new subdivisions had to pay for their installation and connection to the water system, as well as older neighbourhoods where this has happened before.
Currently Moose jaw has about 80 kilometres worth of water mains to replace, which were installed 60-100 years ago.
Down eventually wants to use her house to pay for a care home. She’s worried the added water main cost would burden her family.
“Whatever I get for my house, and of course prices are going down, is going to be my cash balance,” she said.
“I just hope I don’t live too long to out-live it.”
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