The tax bill for those living within the boundaries of Mountain View School Division will have a different look for a variety of reasons.
Presenting a draft 2025-26 budget at a public forum, Mar. 6, MVSD secretary-treasurer Lori Slepicka indicated the division has increased its budget requirements by approximately $2.6 million from $50,816,934 last year to $53,487,961 in 2025-26.
The increase is driven mainly by increases of $2.25 million in the area of salaries and benefits, $83,000 more in nutrition grant costs, $171,434 in the area of supplies and services, a $67,991 rise in insurance costs along with $34,010 more in utility requirements and $96,237 in additional transfers.
The final budget was also impacted by a $30,883 drop in technology costs and a trustee budget decrease of $96,237.
On the revenue side of the ledger, that final budget number will be realized through provincial funding of $38,942,955, federal revenue of $19,715, municipal revenue of $12,036,950, First Nations revenue of $1,283,311, school division income of $448,580, income from private organizations of $536,450 and revenue from other sources of $220,000.
The big changes from last year involve provincial funding, which increased 31.6 per cent from last year, and the municipal portion, which is down 35.6 per cent from 2024-25.
The main reason, Slepicka said, is the introduction of the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit (HATC) of up to $1,500, replacing the Manitoba School Tax Rebate of 50 per cent and Education Property Tax credit previously provided.
“So it shifts our revenue from our municipal revenue to our provincial revenue,” she said.
An assessment increase across the division of 16.1 per cent, to slightly more than $1.5 billion, was also highlighted with the value of farmland increasing by 23.9 per cent, residential properties by 10.9 per cent and commercial properties by 7.2 per cent.
Those increases allowed the division to lower its mill rate from 13.8697 mills in 2024 to 13.2603 mills this year.
When looking at the effect of taxation, Slepicka said, if your residential assessment increased by more than the 16.1 per cent you will see a higher tax increase and if it increased by less than 16.1 per cent, you wil see a lower tax rate.
Using an example of a home assessed at $270,538 in 2024 and rising to $300,000 in 2025, Slepicka highlighted what those changes might mean for a homeowner.
In 2024, that homeowner would have owed school taxes totalling $1,688.59. After applying rebates and tax credits the net tax bill would have been $494.29.
This year, assuming an assessed value of $300,000, that property would have total school taxes of $1,790.14. When the HATC is applied that bill drops to $290.14, or 41.3 per cent less than the previous year.
“The only thing more complicated than the provincial funding formula is probably the calculation of municipal revenue,” Slepicka said, adding the calculation of the division’s Special Levy involves considering needs in two budget years.
Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.
