The following items were among those discussed at the regular meeting of Meadow Lake city council held Monday, March 24. All members of council were present.
During last week’s meeting, council adopted its tax rate bylaw for 2025. “Tax rates are an important policy tool which are also connected with the budgeting process and overarching financial planning of the municipality,” explained Asma Qadri, the city’s director of finance, in her official recommendation to council. “When budgeting, municipal property tax revenue may often need to be adjusted to accommodate for the rate of inflation, anticipated workplans and other factors. The mill rate, mill rate factors and base tax are council’s tools for determining how potential increases are spread across the different property classes. To set tax rates and use tax tools, the province requires municipalities to set these rates in a bylaw.”
Council adopted its 2025 operating budget in December of last year, at which time it was decided to increase the uniform mill rate from 7.876 to 8.095, thus increasing the revenue requirement on property taxes by 2.77 per cent. “When the 2025 budget was set, we had to estimate our tax rates based on 2024 assessment values because we did not yet have the 2025 assessment roll back from the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA),” Qadri continued. “Now that we do have the 2025 assessment values, we will need to adjust our tax rates to come up to the revenue figures already adopted 2025 budget. The uniform mill rate increase of 2.77 per cent adopted with the 2025 budget results in a 8.095 per cent uniform mill rate. The 2024 uniform mill rate was 7.876 per cent.” According to Qadri, an 8.095 per cent uniform mill rate based on the 2025 assessment values would bring in a total of $5,726,423 in property tax revenues. “Administration is recommending the adoption of the proposed bylaw as it follows the property taxation policy as set by council and supports the 2025 operating budget which already approved and adopted,” Qadri noted.
Tax exemptions issued
Last week’s meeting also saw council adopt its annual tax exemption bylaw, meaning the approved groups and organizations are free from paying property tax to the city for the current year. “As in prior years, this year’s bylaw includes exemptions for the Meadow Lake Early Childhood Services, the Meadow Lake Curling Club, the Evangelical Free Church of Meadow Lake’s Turning Point Youth Centre and Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries’ Tiny Treasures Daycare, the Door of Hope/Food Bank and the SAFE Program (Hope Centre),” explained Asma Qadri, the city’s director of finance in her official recommendation to council. “In addition, one new application was received from Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) Program Services. All applications were received by the Sept 1, 2024 deadline.”
With the approval of the bylaw, no tax revenue will be received from the properties of the Meadow Lake Early Childhood Services, the curling club and the Turning Point Youth Centre, and partial taxes will be received from the three Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries applications. “Using 2025 tax rates, by accepting all six returning applications, the forgone revenue to the city will be $39,094.19,” Qadri noted.
LTC levy passed
During last week’s meeting, council approved its longterm care facility levy for 2025. “ In 2013 council began implementing a long-term care facility levy for residential and multi-unit properties,” explained Asma Qadri, the city’s director of finance in her official recommendation to council. “These funds are placed in a reserve account and will be used to pay for the city’s portion of the local share of the Northland Pioneers Lodge replacement project.” The city’s portion of the local share of the project was expected to be just under $4 million.
“To date, the city has paid the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) a total of $3,227,413.04; $2,665,193.43 of which has been paid by the LTC levies collected,” Qadri added. “To pay the remaining balance, the city, in 2022, took out a loan of $1.6 million, as the timing for payments precedes the timing of levy collections. The levy collected from 2023 onward has been utilized for the loan payment. The levy is to remain in place until the total amount paid plus any debt interest accrued is paid off. It is estimated the LTC Levy shall continue to be collected until 2027.” In 2015, the levy was set at $125 per dwelling unit. According to the 2025 budget, this amount will remain the same for 2025. This year’s LTC levies are estimated to be $245,500.