August 8, 2013
Honourable Jim Reiter
Minister of Government Relations
Government of Saskatchewan
Room 348
Legislative Building
2405 Legislative Drive
Regina, SK
S4S 0B3
Dear Minister Reiter,
RE: Property Tax Tools
Consultation
Thank you for your letter addressed to Saskatchewan municipalities
seeking input on property tax tools.
The Town of Kindersley is on record with the Saskatchewan Urban
Municipalities Association as supporting any initiative designed to provide
small urban municipalities with the flexibility to sub-categorize properties
within a single property class, as is permitted for large urban municipalities.
Kindersley is rapidly growing.
While the 2011 Census conducted by Statistics Canada and released last
year states that our population is 4,678 people - a six percent increase over
the last national census conducted in 2006 - the Heartland Health Region states
on its website that Kindersley is home to 5,321 people. This is a difference of
643 people (or 12%) and has an effect on the provision and delivery of services
to our residents. The Census reflects a person’s “permanent” residence. In Kindersley we have workers servicing the
oil fields who are on short/medium and long term contracts and live full-time
in our community.
Our hotels are at 98% capacity and our camp ground is at capacity with
workers calling it home. We have two new hotels just completed that are at
capacity and another hotel scheduled to open this fall. Our home vacancy rates
are at near zero percent and very few homes are available for purchase, however
two residential developers have commenced new phases of mixed use residential
developments. Commercially, businesses are expanding and new
businesses are calling our community home.
Needless to say, like elsewhere in Saskatchewan, we are busy and
growing.
With growth comes opportunity, but also challenge. The Government of Saskatchewan can assist
municipalities with these challenges and we are encouraged by your
efforts. We need your help. Currently your Government only recognizes
official Stats Canada census data for confirmation of population. Private census data are not recognized. Kindersley cannot wait until the next Census
to take advantage of certain opportunities afforded to large urban
municipalities that have a population over a Census confirmed number of 5,000
people. We would like options to confirm
our actual residential population so we can properly deal with the immediate,
and plan for the future. Also, having
the ability to sub-categorize within property tax classes provides a
municipality with the necessary tax tools to ensure that shifts in property
taxes are not unfairly weighted onto one entire class. These tools are essential for municipalities
investing in their futures. Classes such
as the ones listed below must be considered for small urban municipalities:
-
Commercial:
highway commercial, downtown commercial, big box/shopping centre commercial,
occupied commercial, unoccupied commercial
-
Residential:
single family; multi-residential; senior’s home residential; vacant; occupied.
-
Industrial: brownfield; vacant; occupied; heavy; light
-
Farm: seeded;
unseeded
-
Pipeline
-
Elevator
-
Managed
Forest
In a region where abundant growth is the new normal, where capital transfers
quickly and people move easily, property taxes provide municipal governments a
degree of revenue certainty. This certainty must be maintained for municipalities
to ensure prudent and responsible governance and management, and the greater
flexibility municipalities have to levy these taxes within property tax classes
the more effective they can be.
Finally, as part of the consultation process, you requested a description
and amounts of fees charged in our community.
The chart below details this information. In addition to this, we have annual business
license fees ranging from $75 to $175 depending on the business type.
 |
| Town of Kindersley Schedule of Fees, 2013 |
Sincerely,
John Enns-Wind Bernie
Morton
Mayor Chief
Administrative Officer
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