The amount of revenue the City of Moose Jaw collected in property taxes increased by 55 per cent from 2013 to 2019, according to data from the finance department.
In 2013, city hall collected $32.5 million from municipal taxation, water billing charges and sewer billing charges. Six years later, that amount had increased to $50.4 million, based on municipal taxation, water billing charges, sewer billing charges, waste collection charges and recycling collection charges.
The information was presented during city council’s Sept. 8 regular meeting in response to an inquiry from Coun. Brian Swanson from Aug. 10 about what revenues in 2019 were from the various tax collection streams.
Municipal taxation increased to $29.3 million last year from $20.5 million in 2013, which represents an increase of 43 per cent, Swanson pointed out. However, he thought that number was misleading since garbage collection was contained within property taxes from 2013 to 2016. Starting in 2017, garbage charges were added to homeowners’ bills; $226,399 was collected that year, while $1.2 million was collected last year.
When municipal taxation and garbage collection fees are added together, during those six years, the increase was even greater, he added.
From 2013 to 2019, revenue collected was:
Municipal taxation and waste collection
- $20,572,697 / $0
- $22,317,407 / $0
- $24,108,203 / $0
- $24,743,917 / $0
- $26,440,451 / $226,399
- $27,946,301 / $1,142,059
- $29,395,403 / $1,246,543
Water revenues
- $6,578,169
- $6,935,408
- $7,796,611
- $8,383,191
- $9,354,546
- $10,450,973
- $11,088,051
Sewer revenues
- $5,349,793
- $5,690,114
- $6,331,478
- $6,835,159
- $7,236,958
- $7,572,012
- $7,702,529
Recycling revenues
- $0
- $0
- $225,185
- $900,161
- $929,944
- $967,357
- $968,142
The total amount of revenue collected from the property tax base increased by $17.9 million from 2013 to 2019, Swanson added, while the municipality took on significant debt during that time, saw little property assessment growth, and had next to no population growth.
No one else on council spoke about the information that city administration provided.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Sept. 21.
