Councillor Dustin Brears wants some clarity regarding local property taxes for at least the rest of the current term.
And, at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council April 26, he made a motion calling for the City to investigate a three-year plan.
“If taxes are going to rise do it in a responsible way,” he said.
From Brears perspective that responsible way was to look at the impact a three per cent a year tax hike would have.
In making his initial motion Brears broke down each year’s increase over capital and operating, with capital receiving the lion’s share, roughly five per cent, over the three years.
If the increases were not enough on the operating side Brears said there would need to be a decrease in expenditures, but without cutting programs or services.
By creating a plan Brears said the public would better be able to plan in terms of the property tax costs.
The plan would also give the City a better vision of what money, especially on the capital side, it had to invest, he added.
The plan would, from Brears perspective, reset every four years, or the span of a term on Council.
“I really like this concept,” said Coun. Ken Chyz, a statement echoed by Coun. Darcy Zaharia, who added seeing more go to capital was a good thing.
It was pointed out by Administration that forecasting a three-year impact, when variables such as city growth, and provincial funding, are unknown would make it a somewhat general view of how it might affect the city.
But, Mayor Mitch Hippsley said the process of having Administration prepare a report on the impact of such a plan would be “a very valuable exercise ... The exercise itself is a valuable tool.”
The matter was approved to have Administration prepare the impact having a three-year tax plan might have.
