Property tax !

[almoy]

How many of you are going to need to sell an extra few calves to cover the increase in your school taxes ? Just received our tax notice and the school mill rate went from 19.7 to 20.7. When our cattle prices and most grain prices are lower along with 3 years of drought in our area I wonder how they figure the farmer can keep paying!

Will property taxes be an election issue ? Will they promise another study to see what should be done?

[ivbinconned]

With farmers paying more than 4 times as much as urbanites in education tax, what is called for is a total tax revolt organized by the S.A.R.M.
Enough of resolutions!

[cowman]

Actually in Alberta our school taxes didn't go up that much and the municipality lowered the mill rate so most people are paying about the same! Which is pretty amazing as the teachers got a pretty hefty raise(14%)and they are making noises about how it wasn't quite enough! Old Ralph came up with a solution...he just never gave the school boards anymore money so they had to fire a few secrataries,janitors and teachers. However he is making noises about putting some more money into the system so who knows where that will come from? Maybe put a few more VLTs out or build a few more casinos? Or maybe raise the permit fees for everything we do! Or his buddies the insurance companies might chip in a few bucks! Lots of money in Alberta especially as we move closer to an election! Probably going to pick up some of our heating bill and maybe electricity! Steal our money and give us back a pittance...the American,sorry I mean Alberta, way!

[ivbinconned]

Cowman how do our taxes compare to there? Here a quarter of grass is taxed a total of about 550$. And a good quarter fully broken and productive runs about $1600.00 per year.
I know that this is much higher than in the Grand Prarie area but is this true of the whole province?

[cowman]

That's pretty high. Our land taxes and school taxes are all rolled into one but clearly stated how much. The closer you get to the city or to the Calgary/Edmonton corrider the higher the taxes. $1600 would be the price for a good broke quarter with a good new moderate sized house on it(we are taxed on our residences). A decent native grass quarter could be as low as $300, but if its a few miles from the city that might go up considerably.

[cowman]

Interesting, I have a quarter of number 2 classed soil, all under cultivation with a 1300 sguare foot house, a small sized hip roof barn (1960) and a open front shed 28 by 120 ......... my taxes are $2350, a split of 55% to school tax and 45% to county services. My councillor indicates that the county has no choice but to increase the tax load as the provincial transfers have been diminishing each year, yet the province off loads responsibiities upon them ...... little or no negotiation.

It is curious, we are more and more frustrated by the Conservative policies increased taxation, services fees, increased energy costs (gas, electricity and but there is little or no thought of not reelecting them ........ well, then we get what we vote for ..........

[cowman]

cjc: Our municipality has been lowering the mill rates for a couple of years now so that has offset the school tax increases. Farm land and residences only make up 31% of the tax base because we have a large industrial land base as well as extensive oil and gas holdings that pour a huge pile of revenue into the municipality. Our Reeve claims that in the near future there will be 0% tax on farm land and residences! Well we'll see!
On a 1600 sq. foot 10 year old house and quarter I pay $1573. Barns, cow shelters, shops etc. are not taxed, just the home.

[cowman]

One more thing...the only time I voted for Ralph was in his second term after he had trimmed up the teachers, nurses, doctors and other government employees. I thought I should because he actually did what he said he would do...cut the fat! Not many politicians keep their promises! He's sort of fallen off the rails now though!
But who can you vote for? The NDP or Liberals? They seem to be just chomping at the bit to see who can blow the most money the fastest! Are they going to stand up for our rights with Ottawa or are they going to do everything possible to give away the store? There should be no Albertan that ever forgets what the Liberals did to us in the eighties with the NEP! And a liberal is a liberal!
So who can we vote for if we want to see a fiscally conservative government? I've mostly voted radical but in reality that is just a wasted protest type vote. I guess the majority of Albertans figure Ralph and the boys are doing a pretty fair job?