It was a sombre mood at town hall on Wednesday, June 19 when members of the Carlyle business community met to discuss the issue of increased taxes with council.The meeting saw a turnout of about 30 business owners seeking an explanation of why their taxes have seen a dramatic increase, with some reporting increases of over 100 per cent. Mayor Don Shirley along with all the other council members was present to give a breakdown of the reasons behind the tax increase. "This year's town budget, was very much an infrastructure budgetin 2012 Carlyle's mill rate was 18.5, this year it was set at 11.85 and while the towns mill rate dropped from 18.5 to 11.85 the budget calls for an increase of revenue of about $500,000. That is partly from first properties coming onto the tax role and partly from increase in taxes," he said
The mayor explained that in addition to the day to day operation of the town there are several projects the money collected will be used to do. One such project is the re-pavement of Main Street, which is currently underway and was budgeted for $300,000 he explained. He added that the sidewalks of Main Street require work and also the town's need for a back-up water well which he said will come at a cost of $125,000.
"It is not cheap to grow a community, our population continues to grow and in order to accommodate that population we have recently invested $4.5 million dollars in new reliable water source, one with pipelines and a treatment plant"he explained.
Shirley said although the budget is an ambitious one, the town will continue to grow and is on a solid foundation with the goal of creating more opportunities for the public.
Council had the help of two representatives from the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA). They explained the process involved in arriving at the value of property but at the end of their presentation business owners were still disgruntled, as many said their presentation did not address the issue at hand. SAMA is the independent agency that under provincial legislation is mandated update property assessment valuations. A letter read by Steve Shultz, co-owner of Pharmasave detailed not only the feelings of business owners in the town but also requesting that the taxes be re-evaluated.
"These increases have left us shocked, angered, disheartened and in some cases, even with a sense of betrayal. We all are trying to make this town a better place by offering local services that enhance the town. In our opinion this tax increase is a severe deterrent to growth and sustainability of our town" the letter detailed.Through the letter, business owners asked several questions, from budget increases for 2013 to the amount of capital improvements to be done this year and its necessity. A request was made for a second meeting to be held to further discuss council's take on taxes and the steps that will be taken to alleviate their financial predicament.
"We all don't mind paying our fair share (residential or commercial) and know that cost and needs do increase, but affordable increase of single digits would afford us the opportunity to remain in business and retain some profit to sustain growth..." the letter continued.
According to SAMA's website, the agency does not make tax policy, and doesn't set mill rates and the representatives reiterated the company's policy during the meeting. Mill rate is set by council and resident's privy to this voiced their concerns at the meeting. A mediator was on hand to direct the questions of those present, some raised a hand to be identified while others randomly echoed their discontent throughout the meeting to share their concerns.
"Maybe we should read the letter again, because nobody is hearing us here, read that letter again, it has nothing to do with SAMA anymore, and you very eloquently described what you guys do and all that. It doesn't help the entrepreneurs of Carlyle to stay here. If he's (business owners) not going to make any money, he's not going to stay here," one business owner argued.
Those in attendance asked for answers and council responded by assuring that the issue would be discussed. However, no time frame was given by council at the meeting on when business owners would be consulted. Steve Shultz said he was contacted by council recently and they are seeking to arrange a date for further discussions.
