RM pushing for tax fairness across school divisions
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A rural council is pushing to change Manitoba’s school tax formula after dealing with hundreds of upset residents.
Riding Mountain West Reeve Grant Boryskavich told the Sun on Friday that he is advocating to the provincial government for a universal mill rate across Manitoba. The formula would solve a problem in his community, he said, where many people are complaining of rising — and unequal — taxes.
In the case of two similar households in the rural municipality, one family pays $793 in school taxes and the other pays $1,326, chief financial officer Kathy Ritchie told the Sun.
The example showcases how two properties, both worth $100,000, were taxed differently this year based on which school division boundaries they fall into, she said.
Council believes the discrepancy exposes a flaw in the way school taxes are handled, prompting the call for change, Boryskavich said. The issue has cropped up in recent years amid rising taxes, he said, and introduced problems for staff as residents are upset and confused.
“The ones that are extremely, extremely angry, that I end up with, is probably dozens,” chief administrative officer Glenda Lemcke said. “But the ones that come in and talk to the girls and need this explained (are), I would say, hundreds of people.”
Depending on where they live, RM residents pay property taxes to either Mountain View or Park West school divisions.
The result is that neighbours are being taxed differently, Boryskavich said. Despite living in similarly valued homes, one neighbour will be paying $500 more than the other because the two different school divisions calculate taxes using different mill rates.
Council has met with Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard to discuss the issue, Boryskavich said, adding the goal is to see people who live in equally valued homes pay the same rate toward school taxes across the province.
» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com