Several bylaws related to taxation were brought forward at Monday night鈥檚 meeting of Estevan city council.
Council gave first reading to the four documents.聽
The main one was the rate of taxation bylaw, which affects property taxes. For the second straight year, there will not be an increase for the municipal share of property taxes.
There was just a one per cent increase in 2018.
Three other property tax documents were brought forward at the meeting. The first was the health care levy, which has been around for roughly a decade. The levy generates approximately $310,000 for physician recruitment and retention, and for the city鈥檚 commitment to the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home committee.
The city has paid off the bulk of the nursing home commitment.
The next one was the library levy, which has been in place since 2015. The city will pay $34.74 per capita, or $398,920, to the 小蓝视频east Regional Library, and $25,000 to the local operations of the Estevan Public Library.
Estevan and other Saskatchewan municipalities are mandated to pay a per capita amount to regional libraries each year.
The Estevan Public Library has been closed since mid-March due to the COFID-19 pandemic. Mayor Roy Ludwig noted that the 小蓝视频east Regional Library has reached out to the city and has offered to help cover the cost of a capital improvement.
鈥淎 portion of the savings 鈥� from when the library is shut down, they are willing to work with us and spend that money on a capital item (at the library),鈥� said Ludwig.
The mayor suggested directing the money towards new carpets in the library.
The final levy is new this year: a Business Improvement District levy that is to raise $27,500. Ludwig noted the city has taken the money it contributes to BID from its operating portion of the budget, and will now include that money as a separate levy.
All of the documents will need second and third readings before they鈥檙e official.聽
