Your property taxes are going up, Regina: Here's how and why
Homeowners in Regina will be paying more property tax in 2017.
All totalled, the average household in Regina will pay an extra three per cent on their taxes.
For the average Regina home worth $335,100, the tax bill will be $3,100 — $90 more than 2016.
But it's not just the city that decides your tax bill. The provincial budget had a huge impact on property taxes this year.
Now that the dust has settled, CBC News breaks down what the average tax bill in Regina will look like.
City portion
The average homeowner in Regina will see a $42.73 year-over-year increase. That jump is for a home worth $335,100 — the average value of a home in Regina in 2017. For most people that will mean a monthly increase of about $3.50 over 2016.
How we got here
The city is facing a $10.3-million shortfall after the provincial government scrapped its grants-in-lieu program, which saw Crown corporations SaskEnergy and SaskPower make payments to cities. That forced the city to cut programs and raise taxes.
But because it's a reassessment year, the average homeowner won't see an impact quite that high as some city officials first suggested. The average home worth $335,100, for example, will only see a 2.7 per cent bump. Of course, because the assessment varies, some homeowners could end up paying more, some less.
Education portion
The provincial budget not only put the squeeze on cities — it also hiked education property taxes. Average homeowners in Regina will be paying an additional $46 in 2017 compared to last year.
How we got here
It's interesting math. The province actually lowered the education tax rate in 2017, but the government raised the education portion of property tax by 10 per cent across the province.
In total, that meant people were paying more in educational property tax and it's expected to put $67 million more in provincial coffers this year.
Library portion
Regina's public libraries will actually get less money from the average homeowner in Regina this year. A homeowner whose house is worth $335,100 is will pay $1.50 less than they did last year.
How we got here
Library funding is in flux after the provincial government initially cut and then backtracked on provincial library funding.
It's still unclear what will happen, but homeowners in Regina will actually pay less for libraries this year, according to city officials.
