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My Take on Snow Lake

Bast at bat for Snow Lake Cottage Owners' Association
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Snow Lake Cottage Owners' Association president Marcy Bast presenting to the town council

The new president of the Snow Lake Cottage Owners' Association (SLCOA) appeared as a delegation in front of town council Oct.18. She was there to make a presentation in respect to how her group feels taxes should be levied locally.

Marcy Bast advised council that she was elected president of the SLCOA two months back, and after introducing herself, got her first public presentation in that new capacity underway. Articulate, well prepared, and at ease, Bast explained that although she lives and works in Regina, she has also been constructing a cottage at Taylor Bay for the past eight years. She observed that the Snow Lake Cottage Owners' Association has represented cottage owners at Anderson, Berry and Taylor Bays, Snow Creek, and a number of remote cabins for over 20 years, stating that the group has an elected executive, and levies annual membership dues.

She said that the SLCOA has an ongoing concern over how the community's mill rate is applied to cottage owners. Remarking that the town's cottage owners currently pay the same mill rate as people living in the town proper, she pointed out that they receive varying levels of service. However, she also confirmed that services at cottage subdivisions are not equivalent to services in town. " Snow Lake cabin owners are among Manitoba's highest taxed," said Bast. "The current method of taxation is both inaccurate and unfair." She stated that change is required - and her group has a solution.

Bast then put forward two options. The first being that the town provide the same services to cottage owners as they supply in the town proper. She acknowledged that this would be impossible and that the resulting increase to the town's budget would be substantial and prohibitive. She said that cottage owners don't expect the same services. Nevertheless, with taxes as high as they are, she said many people are reluctant to develop their lots, due to these costs and the uncertainty of whether they will continue to rise.

Bast said that the second and preferred option would be a tiered mill rate to reflect varying levels of service. SLCOA is proposing a mill rate with three tiers. The full mill rate would be levied for residences in the town proper, two-thirds of the mill rate for Anderson, Taylor, and Berry Bays and Snow Creek, and one-third of the mill rate for remote cottages. The group see this as an effective, fair, and equitable approach to varying service levels, and they feel it would stimulate development and increase the town's tax base. To boost her argument, Bast pointed out the fact that 15 of 39 cottage lots at Taylor Bay have only garages constructed on them. "People construct a building at the minimum square footage to secure title for the lot and that's it," she said. Bast maintains that most of the folks she has spoken to who have done this, say that they are scared to keep building because they don't know what will happen with the taxes. "I don't think anyone comes this far North to build their dream garage," quipped Bast. She closed noting that tiered mill rates would stimulate existing and future development and then asked if the council had questions.

Mayor Clarence Fisher thanked Bast at the conclusion of her presentation and congratulated her on her election as president. He stated that he had a great deal of respect for her predecessor, Lillian Haines and that this was the third meeting he had been involved in with the cottage owners since he himself took office in October of 2010. He asserted that he has worked hard to bring the relationship back together. Fisher qualified this by stating that communication between council and the SLCOA has been and will always be a two-way street and that they will not always agree.

He then asked if the current proposal had changed since it was put in front of the last council and they expressed that they weren't interested. Bast replied that she wasn't sure, but that the personalities had changed. She also noted that the mill rate figures presented were for discussion purposes only. "Do you know of any other municipalities dealing with this type of tax structure," asked Fisher? Bast said she wasn't sure, but if there wasn't, she suggested that the council could break new ground if they embraced it. Fisher said that he had found an instance of a tiered tax structure, but that it was the opposite of what SLCOA is asking for. The Rural Municipality of Brokenhead charges a mill rate that is one-third higher to cottages because of all the gravel roads that must be maintained for them in their RM.

The discussion then began to touch upon the comparison of tax bills and what was and wasn't offered by way of services between people living in town or in cottage subdivisions. As well, discussion touched on whether the mill rate or assessment process should be changed.

Coun. Angela Enright expressed that taxes were not based on a given fee for service, but instead on quality of life. Bast countered that she felt there were problems with how properties are assessed, citing the fact that her taxes for a home in Regina are $1,000 per year lower than on her cottage in Snow Lake. "It is about what is reasonable and fair," said Bast. "Why are taxes what they are? Why do some cottage owners pay $10,000 per year in taxes?"

Enright responded that cottages held their value and noted how people continued to get market value prices for them even when other real estate in Snow Lake hit rock bottom several year's back. She feels that assessments on in town and cottage properties will match up with each other in the next assessment year.

At this point, the mayor stated that in his past conversations with the previous SLCOA president, the issues of sidewalks, streetlights, and paved roads were cited as services being enjoyed in town, but not by cottage owners. "They don't have some of these on Green Street and Copper Road... should they get a break on taxes as well," the mayor queried? Bast replied that the town should look at all discrepancies.

The town has made such allowances in the past, when they approved a reduction in the taxes of people on Cedar Avenue because of the dust and noise from the New Britannia Mine.

"People who don't have children, pay education taxes," Enright chimed in. "I never use the curling rink, but I don't begrudge those people who do. When you open the door for one, you have to open it for all." Enright added that she felt that in and out of town properties were equitable matches when land and building size were brought into the equation.

Coun. Dave Mayer commented on some of what Enright had said, stating that there were instances at all levels of taxation where allowances were made for certain groups - he used Northern Residents rebate for an example.

In closing, Fisher asked if council wished to study the issue at the committee level in going further with it. Enright stated that she felt it was a provincial, not a municipal issue. As no one spoke in favour of the issue going forward, it appears that the SLCOA have their answer: council is done with it.

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