BSD seeks relief to avoid ‘gigantic’ tax hike

The Brandon School Division board of trustees is set to meet with Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt next month as pressure intensifies over the prospect of significant property-tax hikes.

The meeting is “urgently needed” and the only issue on the agenda is funding, board vice-chair Duncan Ross told the Sun.

“We’re looking at a very stark situation this year in particular for funding,” he said Friday. “We’re going to need support from the province to avoid a gigantic tax increase for the people of Brandon.”

Ross said the division is facing a bleak situation. An early projection shows a possible $6.8-million shortfall and a property tax increase of more than 10 per cent next year for the owner of a typical $301,000 home. It would be followed by about a six per cent increase the year after.

“These figures do not include inflation,” Ross said.

BSD is struggling with the cost of equalizing teacher salaries across the province, something Ross described as affecting rural divisions more than Winnipeg. The division is also impacted by an imbalance in provincial funding, he said.

“Brandon is getting less funding proportionally than a lot of other divisions,” he said. “I personally believe that we’re getting short-changed by the province, and I want it to change.”

The division has been in regular communication with provincial officials but does not expect early commitments, Supt. Mathew Gustafson told the Sun.

“The funding announcement is usually later — end of January, beginning of February,” Gustafson said Monday. “The minister has expressed to the board of trustees a willingness to meet.”

Contacted by the Sun, Schmidt said the province is working to address concerns raised by BSD and other school divisions.

“There has been an extreme financial burden passed on to our school divisions after seven and a half years of a PC government that cut funding,” she said Friday. “The current government has increased investments … The Brandon School Division has seen a 14 and a half per cent increase … more than an $11-million bump to their budget over the past two years.”

PC education critic Wayne Ewasko rejected the NDP’s argument that funding pressures are the result of past PC government decisions.

“Education Minister Schmidt, (the) finance minister and the premier are in charge of government right now,” he told the Sun Tuesday, blaming the current situation on the NDP not properly funding education.

“The NDP government eliminated the 50 per cent education property tax rebate,” said Ewasko, who was the former PC education minister. “They then gave the authority to the school divisions … if you need more money, go to your taxpayers. Divisions like BSD have no choice but to then go to the taxpayer because of the lack of funding coming from this education minister.”

Schmidt said the NDP government introduced some affordability measures, including the homeowners affordability tax credit.

“Some Manitobans are not paying any more education property tax thanks to the homeowners affordability tax credit,” she said.

Schmidt told the Sun she has already been in contact with BSD leadership. “I’ve had several discussions, both formal and informal, with Linda Ross, the board chair, with various trustees,” she said.

While she did not offer early indications of next year’s funding levels, Schmidt said, “Every single school division in Manitoba has seen an increase since we’ve come into government … We’re going to keep making sure that we are showing up in partnership with school divisions.”

Regarding teacher salary harmonization, which was negotiated while the PCs were in government, Ewasko agreed that costs have increased significantly, including BSD’s estimate of $6.8 million.

He defended the PC government’s decision to adopt provincewide bargaining, saying it was “something that everybody had wanted.” He said the model ensures all Manitoba students receive comparable educational quality regardless of where they live and that teachers are compensated fairly across regions.

While Ewasko acknowledged that divisions need more funding, he argued the NDP should return to the PC approach and “keep on that path” while implementing a long-promised new funding model.

He said the government must ensure funds are distributed “fairly and equitably across this province,” adding that current school boards are being “unjustly blamed” for property-tax increases.

“You can’t blame them,” he said. “They’ve been underfunded by this government, and so they have to meet their needs.”

As BSD prepares for its January meeting with the minister, Ross said the board expects to present near-final figures and stress that residents cannot absorb repeated significant tax increases.

“I’m hoping to get something more than we got last year,” he said. “The people of Brandon deserve it.”

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