Province gives Brandon $1M for property tax break

BRANDON — The Manitoba government is giving the City of Brandon more than $1 million to help lower property taxes, Premier Wab Kinew announced Tuesday.

The funding includes $400,000 for improvements to the Eastview Landfill, $400,000 for renovations to Andrews Field’s change rooms and public washrooms, and $235,000 for parking lot upgrades at the Brandon Community Sportsplex.

“You’re going to get improved city services and rec services, plus you’re also going to get a little bit of help with the affordability when it comes to the cost of living,” Kinew said at a news conference at the sportsplex.

The added funding will drop property taxes by about two per cent, he said.

City administration previously recommended an 11.3 per cent increase in property taxes, of which 10.6 per cent is actually placed on property owners.

“The good news is it not only makes life more affordable — it’s also going to lead to improvements at facilities like this one,” said Kinew, who was flanked by Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard, the MLA for Brandon East.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the announcement shows the city has a strong partnership with the province.

“These dollars make a significant difference … allowing us to continue delivering essential services while easing financial pressures on residents,” Fawcett said.

He said the funding, which covers the cost of the three projects, helps reduce the municipal budget.

“Every dollar of provincial support helps stretch our municipal budget, further reducing long-term maintenance project costs,” he said.

Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op Inc. executive director Eleysha Klaassen, said lower property taxes can make a big difference.

“A two per cent reduction in municipal taxes may seem small on paper, but for seniors, it can mean staying in their homes longer, managing their monthly bills with less stress and having a little more room for essentials like medication, groceries or transportation,” Klaassen said.

The upgrades to the Eastview Landfill include making a permanent depot area for people to drop off their waste, including recycling.

Late last year, the city closed its diversion depots, where people could throw away excess recycling, because of high levels of contamination. The city instead started allowing people to bring their waste for free to the landfill, where separate bins are placed so users can properly sort the materials.

After Tuesday’s announcement, Fawcett said the permanent version of the depots “will be a real asset for the community,” and will be designed to be “very efficient.”

He said all of the projects receiving provincial funding will be completed this year, although he couldn’t say if the upgrades to Andrews Field would be ready for baseball season.

The expected two per cent drop in property taxes due to the new funding could be doubled if council decides to tap a surplus from last year.

At Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Glen Parker, a member of the audit and finance committee, said the city is expecting an operating surplus, which could lower property taxes by two per cent. The surplus amount won’t be finalized until March, he said.

“However, based on current estimates, administration is comfortable with council allocating up to $1.5 million of the projected surplus for use in the upcoming budget deliberations,” Parker said.

The audit and finance committee recommended $1.1 million be used to lower property taxes by two per cent and $400,000 for one-time council priorities, which could further decrease property taxes.

That recommendation from the committee was made on Jan. 15, days before the premier’s announcement.

The city’s budget deliberations are set for Jan. 30 and 31, and a pre-budget meeting where residents can give feedback is set for 6 p.m. on Jan. 26.

— Brandon Sun