All the bylaws have been passed and recommendations accepted that are necessary for the Town of Battleford to send out its tax bills.
But, while Monday's regular meeting of council saw the finalization of a new mill rate and new basic tax rates, it's how the assessment value of property has changed since last year that will determine how much more or, perhaps, less each property owner will be billed.
The summary of the general operating budget for 2013 indicates the town expects to take in revenue of just over $7.3 million, of which almost $2.6 million will be made up by taxation. That $2.6 million, however, will be reduced by abatements, adjustments and early payment discounts to just over $2.3 million.
Each property owner's taxes will be based on their assessment as re-established this year by the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency. The last reassessment was four years ago. The next will be in 2017.
Town Administrator Sheryl Ballendine noted some commercial properties have seen significant increases in this reassessment year. But no appeals came in when the assessment notices went out. There were some inquiries that were checked out and adjustments made, said Ballendine, but there were no property owners who felt the need to go through the appeal process.
The community's overall assessment has gone up to more than $257 million this year, while in 2012 the budget was based on a $143 million assessment. In a revenue neutral budget, this year's mill rate would have been 3.75. Council chose to increase that slightly to 3.85 at a meeting two weeks earlier.
A bylaw passed at the May 6 meeting raised the base tax rate from $875 to $890 for agricultural and residential property and $1,750 to $1,780 for commercial property. Each property will be billed for the applicable base rate plus their taxable assessment multiplied by this year's mill rate divided by 1,000. For example, an R1 property with a taxable assessment of $202,720 will pay a base of $890 plus $780.47 (3.85 times $202,720 divided by 1,000.). Exceptions include the 132 properties considered vacant, which will be levied $300 each.
In addition to a their municipal taxes, property owners will also be required to pay an education tax as set by the provincial government. This year's uniform education mill rates for the Living Sky School Division are 2.67 for agriculture class, 5.03 for residential class, 8.28 for commercial class and 11.05 for resources.
