Survey says: School taxes not just a farm problem, Sask property taxes among the highest in Canada

REGINA: The latest property taxes and utility charges survey produced by the City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department shows Saskatchewan's two biggest cities pay among the highest property taxes in Canada - largely due to school taxes.

Of the 25 cities ranked in the annual Residential Property Taxes and Utility Charges Survey, Regina and Saskatoon ranked 18th and 19th respectively, with Regina improving two spots since 2003, and Saskatoon slipping one spot. This measure includes municipal and school taxes and telephone, power, water, sewer and garbage collection utilities.

When school taxes are removed, Regina and Saskatoon fair much better. When only considering municipal property taxes, Regina improved from 9th to 8th lowest, and Saskatoon held steady at 7th best.

"As a whole, property taxes in Regina and Saskatoon are horrendous," said CTF Saskatchewan Director David MacLean. "But if you take out the school portion of our tax bill, our rates are very competitive with the rest of Canada. City residents need to be more vocal about the issue of school taxes, because it directly impacts their bank accounts and their city's competitiveness. School taxes are not just a farm issue - they have a negative impact on all of us."

Holiday cheer for Regina City Council, lump of coal for Saskatoon
The CTF is praising Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco and the City Council for their efforts to hold the line on taxes. In contrast, the average municipal tax bill in Saskatoon increased by five per cent.

"Regina municipal leaders deserve something special in their stockings this year," said MacLean. "Regina is one of the few cities surveyed that actually froze the property tax bill. Unfortunately, we can't say the same for Saskatoon."

Saskatoon utility bills jumped by 10 per cent last year, which lowered their rank from 8th to 13th. Regina utility bills stayed roughly the same, but the city still languishes in 18th spot on utility cost rankings.

"Both cities need to hold the line on taxes," added MacLean. "But urban residents need to be aware that school taxes are hurting the competitiveness of our cities, and the responsibility for that lies with our provincial government. Urban and rural residents need to stand together and demand the province come forward with real school tax relief, not the pittance that is currently on the table."