2013 A FOLLOW-UP REPORT ON CONVENTION 2022
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- PARCS SETS DATES FOR CONVENTION 2014
December 6, 2013
- The 2014 PARCS Convention will be a full two-day conventions, held on Friday and Saturday, October 17/18.
- PARCS is planning to establish a tradition of conventions on the weekend following Thanksgiving.
- Watch this site for news about location and speakers.
- PARCS ADOPTS A POSITION ABOUT SCHOOL TAXES IN 2014
December 6, 2013
- PARCS members’ undertook a successful letter writing campaign to the government in 2013 about the heavy burden of school taxes on residential property.
- PARCS has once again adopted a 2014 Position Paper regarding School Taxes. The PARCS 2014 Position Paper was presented to the Ministry on December 20th.
- Watch for the next PARCS newsletter with more details about this important issue.
- Saskatchewan school tax to be held at current level
March 13, 2013
CBC News: The Saskatchewan government says it will not boost the education portion of property taxes this year. 2013 is a reassessment year, which potentially could have meant whopping tax increases for homeowners and businesses — assuming property values went up and the mill rate stayed the same. In fact, property values went up 67 per cent from 2009 to 2013. Earlier this year, the province was not ruling out 2013 tax bills that might go up by double digits. However, Premier Brad Wall announced today that educational mill rates will be dropped to compensate, and overall taxes won't go up. Some property owners will pay more taxes and some will pay less, depending on how their own individual assessments fared, but overall the effect will be revenue neutral, he said. "Despite some significant pressures on our provincial budget, we will hold the line on education property taxes in 2013," Wall said in a news release. However, with a growing population and increasing enrollments, tax increases may be needed in future, Wall added.
- PARCS voices about School Taxes were heard
March 10, 2013
- Over the past six weeks PARCS members have conducted an intensive letter-writing campaign asking the province to maintain a revenue neutral position regarding 2013 school taxes.
- Prior to your letters, PARCS directors met with Minister Reiter to present the PARCS position regarding the 2013 school taxes. Then the PARCS position was sent to you in PARCS Update #32. News releases were sent to daily and weekly newspapers across the province.
- This morning Premier Wall issued a press release (see the CBC posting below). At first reading, this sounds like a significant affirmation of the work done by PARCS and its members!
- A word of caution however. Even if school tax dollars are maintained at a revenue neutral position, because resort property assessments increased much more than other assessments, cottage owners will likely be paying a larger percentage of the total 2013 school tax bill.
- On March 20th, at the request of PARCS Board of Directors, I will be attending the pre-budget informational meeting on behalf of PARCS. Immediately thereafter, a newsletter will go out explaining our analysis of the new 2013 school mill rates and their impact for cottage owners. Watch for PARCS Update #33.
- On March 24th your Board of Directors will meet again and likely begin discussion on the next step toward moving the dependence of school taxes away from the province’s property base.
- Meanwhile – Hurrah to all of you who took the PARCS message to the steps of the legislature with your letters to the Premier, to Cabinet members and to your MLAs!