MOOSE JAW — City council has approved changes to three tax-related bylaws, including this year’s property tax amounts — including for those in mobile homes — and the due date for tax payments.
During its May 26 regular meeting, council gave three unanimous readings to Bylaw 5734, mobile home licensing bylaw, Bylaw 5735, property taxes, and Bylaw 5736, tax payments, discounts and penalties bylaw.
The changes went into effect immediately since there was no opposition to the amendments.
Mobile home licensing bylaw
Council approved updates to the mobile home licensing bylaw, which means the due date for mobile home fees is Monday, June 30, while all fees are in effect from July 1, 2025, to June 2026 and reflect this year’s mill rate increase of 5.17 per cent.
“This alignment ensures consistency with the overall financial strategy adopted for the current fiscal year,” a council report said.
Property tax bylaw
Council approved a municipal tax hike of 5.17 per cent in January, but because it wants to narrow the property tax gap between residential and commercial properties, taxpayers will share more of the financial burden with the commercial sector.
This means residential properties will see a tax increase equal to 6.06 per cent — a rise of 0.89 per cent from January — and commercial’s increase will equal 3.31 percent.
However, the latter’s increase will actually be 8.31 per cent since city administration wants to set aside a five-per-cent allowance — taking roughly $600,000 from this subclass now — to address potential property assessment appeals losses this year.
Also, the tax gap this year will be 1.86 times, compared to 1.80 times last year.
Most taxpayers will pay an extra $27.71 per month and $332.60 for the year based on the initial overall tax hike. However, it’s unknown how much extra they will pay with an additional 0.89 per cent in municipal taxation.
Meanwhile, the updated bylaw establishes the municipal taxation rates for 2025; defines the classes and subclasses for taxation purposes; enumerates the mill rate factors for each subclass; excludes assessments from the supplemental role that generate under $100 in tax revenue; sets a $100 levy for the cast iron water main replacement program; sets a $65 levy for the parks and recreation capital fund; and indicates the taxation rates for both school divisions as the Lieutenant Governor in Council has determined.
Tax payments, discounts, penalties
Council gave three unanimous readings to the tax payments, discounts and penalties bylaw, which means homeowners will have until Monday, June 30, to pay their property taxes.
Unless paid through the tax instalment payment plan service (TIPPS), taxes submitted after that date will default and be subject to late payment penalties of one per cent per month compounded monthly and an extra one per cent per month compounded monthly added on the first day of each of the remaining months of the tax year.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, June 9.
