Moosomin reduces mill rate for 2021
June 14, 2021, 7:52 am
Kevin Weedmark
Moosomin’s municipal mill rate is being reduced for the second year in a row, but the town will bring in slightly more in taxation than last year.
In 2020 the town reduced the mill rate from 12.5 to 12.0 due to a downturn in the economy because of Covid-19.
This year, which is a province-wide revaluation year, meaning the assessed value of every property has changed, the town will be reducing the mill rate to 11.5.
Moosomin town council passed the budget and set the mill rate Wednesday.
Mayor Larry Tomlinson said that, with an increase in the provincial education portion of property taxes, the town wanted to keep municipal taxes as low as possible.
“We knocked it back four per cent to help people out because of Covid last year, and we could have used a little more money this year but we didn’t want to raise it so we set it at 11.5 mills. We had to cut back on some things to make that work, but we can get by with that for this year.
“The other thing that came into play is the school tax went up, so if we raised our tax it would have hit the ratepayers fairly hard, so we kept it as low as we could. It was a long, drawn-out affair. We had a tough time with it.
“The toughest part is getting enough money do what you need to do. We cut back a few things to make it work, so there are some things that we will do next year instead of this year.
“We split the town into quarters for the sewer relining and we’re on the last quarter for that. With nothing being done on the sewer lines for so many years, it was tough. In 2022 we will be done with the loan on the hospital and the lagoon, and we’re done paying for the simulators at the Sportsplex, so that freed up a little money.
“It’s a lot of work but we try to make it work so it’s fair—that’s all you can do.
“We will curb and pave Henry Street. We will curb the street by A&W. Our town public works will do the base work for it.
“We have the south end of Ellice torn up, we had to do the storm sewers there and will pave it this year if we can get the base in shape.”
The money brought in from the municipal levy for 2021 will be 1.8 per cent higher than last year, but part of the increase is because of building additions and new construction.
The minimum tax on residential buildings will remain unchanged at $750.
In 2019 the mill rate increased to 12.5 mills, and the minimum tax on residential improvements increased to $750.
In 2020 the mill rate was reduced from 12.5 mills to 12.0 mills due to a downturn in the economy due to Covid-19.
Mill rate factors remain unchanged since 2017 at:
There will be a five per cent discount for current municipal taxes paid by the end of September.
The town will receive $617,418.00 in Revenue Sharing for 2021, which is down from $623,026 in 2020.
In 2021 the town of Moosomin is set to receive $169,517 in Gas Tax Funding, and on March 25, 2021, the federal government announced the doubling of the Federal Gas Tax Fund for one year, and the renaming of the program to the Canada Community Building Fund. As this federal commitment has not been passed into law, it is not clear when the additional 2020-21 amount of $161,837 will be received by the town.
Under the Multi-Material Stewardship Western (MMSW) program, the Town will receive a grant of approximately $40,000 toward the town’s recycling program.
The budget includes $10,000 for a Saskatchewan Highways & Infrastructure engineering study for a Highway 8 bypass on the west side of Moosomin.
In other Public Works expenditures, $110,000 has been allocated to hot-mix asphalt repairs at various locations, and $300,510 for concrete curb/gutter (in preparation to paving in following years), and $427,227 for re-capping for total of $860,000.
As well, the town will continue with the pavement crack/slurry sealing program and has again has budgeted $40,000 for this street maintenance. Equipment purchase includes the purchase of the 2018 Ford F150 (after the three year lease is complete in June 2021), for approximately $24,500. Also, under Public Works, the town has hired a consultant for creation of a complete safety program, and is updating/purchasing new safety equipment as required.
Under the Protective Services category, the town will be invoiced an estimated $223,000 for the RCMP, and $15,000 for Commissionaires to provide bylaw enforcement services.
In the fire department, a new rescue unit which has been on order since May of 2020, has now been delivered. The total cost of the rescue unit is $364,009, and many donations have come in from businesses and individuals. Donations will reduce the $364,000 price, and the town will be responsible for 50 per cent of the net cost after donations, and the money which is annually raised from the fire/equipment charge on utility bills will be transferred from the Fire Department Reserve for this purpose.
Landfill expenses in 2021 include $23,800 for groundwater monitoring wells (piezometers), twice per year monitoring and sampling from these piezometers for $34,500, and $35,000 for a Landfill Decommissioning and Reclamation Plan as required by Saskatchewan Environment.
The town is finalizing the creation of an Official Community Plan and new Zoning Bylaw for a cost estimate of $69,000, with a remaining $30,000 expense in 2021 to complete this task.
The town and RM of Moosomin will continue to cost share 50/50 of the estimated $50,000 in annual economic development expenses.
In the Recreation Department, many donations have been received and will complete the following projects:
Bradley Park:
In the Utilities Department, the Public Works Department will continue with installing a new water main, and re-servicing every property with a new individual water and new sewer service to their home on the 800 and 900 Blocks of Ellice Street.
The Public Works Department are also planning to extend water and sewer mains on Mark Avenue and across Wright Road, in preparation for paving of that portion of Wright Road in the future.
In relation to the town application for funding of upgrades to the Water Treatment Plant under the ICIP (Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program) the town must now have a “Climate Lens Assessment” performed for approximately $42,000 before final approval for funding is announced, and assuming the town is approved for funding, the cost of the Climate Lens Assessment will qualify for funding under the grant.
Additionally, $285,000 has been budgeted for final design acceptance and review.
It is planned that $400,000 be transferred from Utility Reserves for these projects.
Funding under the ICIP program is: Federal Contribution at least 40 per cent/ Provincial up to 33 per cent/Municipal estimated at 27 per cent. Tweet
