Council officially approves tax increase of zero per cent for 2020

Cash-strapped taxpayers affected by the coronavirus won’t face a tax increase this year after city council officially approved a motion to have a zero-per-cent property tax increase in 2020.

During its June 15 regular meeting, council adopted the 2020 property tax bylaw after giving it third and final reading with a 6-1 vote.

Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed.   

Council initially approved the 2020 operating budget last December, which featured a property tax increase of 2.3 per cent. However, once the coronavirus struck the country in mid-March, council recognized the negative economic effect the pandemic was having on residents and municipal finances. So, council and city administration worked to roll back the tax increase to zero per cent.

According to a council report, the approved property tax bylaw will:

• establish the municipal rates of taxation for this year;
• define the classes and subclasses for taxation purposes;
• enumerate the mill rate factors for each subclass;
• exclude property assessments from the supplemental role for this year that generate less than $100 in municipal tax revenue;
• set a uniform base tax that contributes to the waterworks capital fund to partially support the annual cast iron water mains replacement program; and
• indicate the taxation rates for school divisions.

Since March 16, city council has approved more than $800,000 in economic support for the community, including for businesses, a news release said. Other measures council has taken include:

• creating a small business support program;
• allowing free transit until further notice;
• allowing free downtown parking until further notice; and
• waiving penalties for late payments of property taxes and utility bills until Sept. 30.

City hall’s financial services department is preparing property tax notices and plans to have them delivered by mail by June 30.

Zoning amendment bylaw

Council also gave three readings to a zoning amendment bylaw, voting 6-1 on all three readings; Swanson was opposed each time. The bylaw will likely come back to the June 29 council meeting for official approval.

This zoning amendment proposes to remove a pre-existing building restriction on semi-detached dwellings in the R1 district. Currently, the zoning bylaw allows only semi-detached dwellings to be re-constructed in this district if they have previously existed on the property. Removing this restriction would allow contractors to build new semi-detached dwellings in the R1 district on a discretionary basis.

This amendment is in response to an application from Habitat for Humanity Moose Jaw, which wants to construct new semi-detached dwellings on two existing 25-foot lots. The organization recently purchased two lots at 1015 Ominica Street East and wants to construct two residential units, one on each lot, with a shared wall along the property line.

The next regular council meeting is Monday, June 29.