Annexed homeowners to receive tax break

REGINA – Hundreds of rural property owners in Regina are receiving a tax break.

They’re rural property owners that used to be in the RM of Sherwood, but with recent annexation, they now fall within the city’s boundaries.

The total exemption comes in at about $668,000.

A partial tax exemption was part of the deal when the city agreed to annex land from the RM of Sherwood.

Mayor Michael Fougere says it’ll be eased in over five years in order to prevent what he calls ‘sticker shock’.

“They’re not receiving any more services today than they did when we annexed t,” Fougere said. “It’ll be a 20 per cent increase every year, then they’re paying full taxes. By that time, they may have water hookups that go in there, roads, better snow removal, those kinds of services the city has.”

As of January 1, Regina’s boundaries were expanded to allow for a population increase of another 100,000 people.

The new boundaries will also result in redrawn political wards, to be publicly reviewed later this year.