NORTH BATTLEFORD - City council In North Battleford has lowered the property tax hike that was set to come in for 2023.
Council has set the tax increase down to 5.34 percent, down from the 5.99 per cent tax increase approved during last December’s budget process.
At council Monday at Don Ross Centre, councillors heard from Director of Finance Margarita Pena who explained there was additional revenue sharing for municipalities in the March 22 budget from the province.
The city expects to receive an additional $179,213 in 2023. In response council decided to reduce the tax increase to 5.34 per cent, using $100,000 of the additional revenue sharing to assist with the cost of replacing street signal poles at Territorial Drive and 100th Street that were damaged late in 2022.
Council also will be using $25,000 of the additional funding to cover their portion of a Community Airports Partnership grant for a backup generator the airport. If they aren’t awarded a CAP grant for this year from the province, that amount will be deferred to 2024.
Council had considered other options including keeping the 5.99 per cent while using the money to also address inflationary pressures.
But there was desire by council to both address the pressing needs as well as provide some affordability relief for residents, though there was sentiment from Councillor Kelli Hawtin in favor of going for an even lower increase of 5.19 per cent.
“We are all facing it,” said Hawtin. “The grocery bill is higher, the energy bill is higher, the power bill is higher, the phone bill is higher. Everything, it’s stacking up, it’s challenging for everybody in their own homes.”
On the other side Councillor Greg Lightfoot spoke in favor of keeping the 5.99 increase as it is. But in the end, council finally went with a 5.34 per cent increase and that was approved Monday.
Council special meeting
Council reconvened again the following evening, Tuesday, May 9, for a special meeting on the Zoom platform to pass the bylaws pertaining to implementing the 2023 budget. On the agenda and passing in three readings were the Vacant Commercial Property Levy, the 2023 Mill Rate Factors and 2023 Tax Rate Minimum and Base Tax.
