Estevan City council denied a request from a daycare to change the tax rate for the organization to a residential rate from a commercial.
The Hillcrest Early Learning Centre requested a change in how they are taxed in a Dec. 8 letter to council. The non-profit organization was looking to have its property taxes issued as though they were a residential property rather than a commercial one.
The daycare has been operating in the city since December 2011 and noted during that time the Estevan Daycare Co-operative has been receiving an alteration to their taxes so they pay a residential rate.
This issue came up at council earlier this year, when the Daycare Co-operative was again requesting the tax reallocation. Though council was split about how to procees, on Aug. 25, council voted 4-3 in favour of allowing the co-operative to have their rate reduced for the daycare’s current fiscal year. That decision was made with the caution that the daycare should not expect the same reduction in future years.
The Hillcrest Early Learning Centre was requesting their facility to be taxed at a residential mill rate as well as asking for their previous tax years to be reassessed at the reduced rate.
City Manager Amber Smale said the City could not retroactively change the tax rates for previous years, leaving council to decide how to proceed in 2015.
After some discussion around the council chambers the request was denied. Coun. Brian Johnston noted that if council has denied future tax reallocations to the Daycare Co-operative, then council’s “hands are tied” and all future requests of this nature from similar non-profits would have to be denied.
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Council approved Estevan’s water treatment plant manager Kevin Sutter recommendations for chemical tenders in 2015.
The tenders were awarded for the supply of aluminum sulfate, liquid chlorine, KMnO4, ammonium sulfate, HSF acid (fluoride), and sodium hydroxide solution.
For all tenders, with the exception of the aluminum sulfate tender, Sutter recommended the lowest bid. Regarding the aluminum sulfate tender the lowest bid was an American-based company, but Sutter said the bid didn’t include other fees like duty, taxes and brokerage fees.
Council approved his recommendation for the second least expensive bid.
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Regens Disposal Limited filed the November cart report with council, which included information on the collection of both trash and recycling material over that month. About 3,550 recycling carts were emptied for a total of 36,160 kilograms, while 12,278 trash carts were emptied, contributing about 228,740 kg of trash to local landfills.
