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.

Dauphin city council showed its support for the trend of shopping Canadian products and supporting local businesses through a proclamation at its regular meeting, Feb. 24.

The proclamation recognized that businesses, manufacturers, producers and tradespeople in the region form the backbone of our economy and  noted the recent threats of American tariffs on Canadian products could present real challenges impacting businesses.

Finally, the proclamation encouraged people to show support by choosing Canadian-made products and services, reinforcing our economy and ensuring success of local businesses.

Amyloidosis

Council proclaimed March as Amyloidosis Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness, funding research and supporting those living with the group of diseases which occurs when an abnormal protein, known as amyloid, builds up in the tissues and organs of the body. If  left untreated, amyloidosis can result in organ failure and be fatal.

Added to taxes

Council voted to add one outstanding receivable account to taxes in the amount of $70 owing at 108 3rd Avenue NE for Permit 6020.

Renovations

Council was informed renovations in the mechanic area of the City Shop have begun. Concrete has been poured and construction is underway. The renovation will result in increased parts storage, increased office space, and document storage.

EV charger

Council was informed user reviews of the EV3 charger in the parking lot of City Hall have brought to light problems with one side of the unit. FLO has been contacted to schedule repairs.

Insurance

Council was updated on a walkthrough of the City’s insured buildings conducted by the ICT manager and safety manager with a representative out from Western Financial Group.

City staff are currently working through a list of recommendations to ensure all city buildings are in full compliance with insurance requirements.

Accounts approved

Council authorized the issuance of 110 cheques totalling $1,423,662.87 to cover outstanding accounts. Also authorized were three electronic payment totalling $24,693.54, as well as nine electronic payments in January totalling $204,311.16.

Building permits

Councillors learned there were no City of Dauphin building permits issued in January. There was one Department of Labour permit issued for work on the storage loft at the city shop valued at $34,000.

Radon agreement

Councillors authorized the city manager to sign a Radon Outreach Contribution Program agreement with Health Canada  outlining the terms of a $45,000 grant awarded in 2024 to develop and implement a local radon action plan. The grant is payable at $15,000 per year and the agreement will be in effect until Mar. 31, 2027.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of The Dauphin Herald.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe was joined by local MLA Ron Kostyshyn in the City last week to meet stakeholders regarding the Dauphin Community Justice Centre project currently in the works

And for the two municipalities which are partners in the project, the meeting felt like a positive step forward in the process.

Both mayor David Bosiak and reeve Ernie Sirski left the meeting pleased to see the project moving forward.

“The council chamber was full with probably six or seven folks from various government departments, plus the ministers,” Bosiak said.

“We had a good hourlong discussion with the RM and us basically discussing what we would like to see in the facility.”

“The feeling that I get from it is that they’re serious about this facility and the reason I say that is because it wasn’t just the minister and our representative, the minister of Agriculture, but they had a whole bunch of other people there,” Sirski added.

“The ministers control the purse strings, but these are the people that they get stuff done.”

Bosiak said the municipalities shared their vision for the centre being more than a place to incarcerate people. Ideas about training programs and skill development, community service options and victim’s services were among the discussion.

“It was very open-ended in the sense that lots of ideas were presented and I think it was a great first step,” Bosiak said, adding there were representatives of KPMG in the room. KPMG is the firm contracted by the province to act as their consultants in the information gathering process.

The main message, Bosiak said, was that there would be no barriers to the project created by either the RM or the City.

“We want to be partners,” he said.

Sirski added there were no real specifics about the project revealed in terms of timelines

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

As winter begins giving way to spring, the focus of city officials turns to budgetting.

And, while the process began late last year with meetings to identify priorities and explore opportunities, now is the time to work on the finishing touches.

“We’ve got some direction for 2025 that we’re working on costing and looking at the logistics of how to make that work,” City manager Sharla Griffiths said.

Mayor David Bosiak added more information is needed before numbers can be finalized.

“We’re still waiting on a couple of responses from the other levels of government on some applications we’ve made, which will basically determine the scale and scope of some of the work that we want to do,” he said.

“We think we’re on target. We haven’t yet gotten into the nuts and bolts of final costing for of some of the things, because as projects are still developing you get estimated costs. Then when you go to tender then you get the actual cost. So we’re still fine-tuning a few of those things and I know senior managers are still working on a couple of the finer details.”

Three key priority projects have been identified by council for this year. 2025 will see continued development of the Craft District on Second Avenue Northwest, growing the development Reserve Fund created through a bylaw passed at council’s last regular meeting and expanding the active transportation network to tie in the west end of the city.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

After some concern that they may be headed for a deficit in the Utility Fund in 2024, City administration is breathing a little easier these days.

At a regular council meeting last November, city manager Sharla Griffiths informed councillors the fund was trending toward a deficit, due mainly to a delay in a rate study application to the Public Utilities Board (PUB)  seeking increased sewer and water rates.

The City requested the water rate review as a result of inflationary pressures. While the last review included a built-in inflation factor, it only covered a set number of years. After that time there was no mechanism for the City to increase rates further, Griffiths said, adding there were no increases in 2023 or 2024.

The City applied to the PUB in September 2023, anticipating they would have new rates in place by October 2024 in time for last quarter billing.

When that did not happen, with the capital budget mostly completed for the year, there was not much time to make adjustments to make up for the shortfall.

Now, as administration is finalizing the numbers for 2024, it appears the threat has passed.

“We did realize a couple of cost savings and so there’s not a threat of a deficit,” Griffiths said.

“We’re just evaluating how much of a surplus we have in our general fund and I believe we’re also in a small, a modest surplus for utility.”

Those numbers are yet to be finalized, audited and presented for council approval.

New water and sewer rates were approved mid-month this past December and were applied to the utility in the first quarter of 2025.

As of Jan. 1, the minimum quarterly charge for 5/8-inch standard household connection increased to  $89.59 from the current $79.12, a 13.2 per cent rise. That minimum will rise further to $92.96 on July 1, and to $95.39 on Jan. 1, 2026.

Additionally, water and sewer used over the minimum will be billed at $3.44 per cubic metre instead of $3.04 per cubic metre, again, a 13.2 per cent increase. Those rates will increase to $3.59 and $3.67 per cubic metre on July 1, and Jan. 1, 2026, respectively.

The new rates will be reflected in the first quarter billing in April.

The new rate structure is for the short term, given the lagoon expansion project looming. Once construction costs are firmed up and operating estimates are determined, the City will ask for another rate review to ensure the utility is a strong position to finance the project.

Earlier this month city council gave first readings to a bylaw allowing for the borrowing of $4,692,500 to help finance the lagoon expansion to be repayed through utility surcharges. A further $4,692,500 will be borrowed for the project and paid back through taxation.

It is going to be a bit of a homecoming for Nicole Chychota when she assumes her new position of chief administrative officer for the City of Portage la Prairie later this spring.

The Rural Municipality of Dauphin announced last week that Chychota would be leaving its municipal administration team to take the city manager role in Portage.

“Portage is my home originally, from a long time ago and I found out that Nathan Peto, the city manager at the time, was moving on. I thought this was a really great opportunity and just one that I had to take a shot at,” Chychota said.

“Honestly it was an incredibly difficult decision to leave this community. It has been home for a really long time. We love it dearly here and it’s really sad to be moving on.”

But at the same time Chychota is looking forward to the new challenges and experience that will come from heading up the administration team in Manitoba’s eighth largest city.

“Portage is a really great city and they’ve really led the way in a lot of avenues. They’re very innovative, collaborative and they’re doing work that is well respected at the federal level,” she said.

“Dauphin is a really special place and, like I said, it was not an easy decision to leave. We are truly going to miss everything about this community.

“It’s just one of those once in a-lifetime opportunities for me.”

Reeve Ernie Sirski said council is sorry to see Chychota go.

“She’s done a great job for the municipality in the last over seven years and we’re going to miss her. She’s a very efficient and knowledgeable individual and she’s done a lot for this municipality as far as I’m concerned,” Sirski said.

“She’s made sure that we’ve had enough money to keep operating in an efficient manner. We haven’t had any surprises on the budget side like Winnipeg and Brandon had this last couple of years. Through it all we’ve had the equipment, the personnel and the money to keep operating so, in my opinion, she’s done a great job and we’re going to miss her.”

Sirski added the search is already underway for Chychota’s replacement with the position being advertised locally, provincially and nationally.

“It’s pretty hard to limit this to just Manitoba. These people that come into these kind of positions are pretty mobile and we’re hoping that we have some good candidates come forward, from not just Manitoba, but throughout Canada,” he said.

“So the process is started and now it’s a question of who comes forward.”

Chychota’s last day with the RM of Dauphin is Mar. 25 and she begins her duties in Portage, Mar. 31.

Although he is hopeful the search for a new CAO is a quick one, Sirski is doubtful Chychota’s replacement will be in place prior to her departure.

For her part, Chychota is hoping to leave the RM in good hands.

“I’m hoping we’ll find an amazing person to come in and lead this municipality. It truly has been a really great place to work,” Chychota said.

“We have amazing staff, a great council and anyone would be lucky to work here.”

Funding for Manitoba schools will increase by $67 million for the 2025-26 school year.

Background information concerning the announcement, made last week by Manitoba’s new education minister Tracy Schmidt, shows increases will vary between one per cent and almost 10 per cent for individual divisions, with the inclusion of federal nutrition funding.

For Mountain View School Division (MVSD) that means a 6.5 per cent bump to $28.1 million in provincial operating support for the coming year.

MVSD secretary-treasurer Lori Slepicka said while the announcement did not include major changes to the way support is calculated, the division did receive a much needed increase in provincial funding.

“They did continue with some of their what they call one-time funding amounts,” Slepicka said.

“So probably our biggest increase within that area were under a line that they call wage and enrollment growth redistribution. We haven’t seen a huge amount of enrolment growth so that’s just kind of a catch line for all the school divisions. So it definitely helps with the salary increases, with the contractual obligations, for sure. We also got a small amount of an increase for the nutrition program funding.”

Slepicka added while this year’s announcement does not provide all of the predicability and stability school divisions have been asking for, there were some positive steps towards that goal.

“We’re on the formula guarantee now, as well, so what that means is that your formula support won’t decrease from the prior year,” Slepicka said.

“So we have that amount which when your enrollment fluctuates or decreases a little bit, unless it takes you out of that formula guarantee, it really doesn’t really affect your formula support.”

The province says “incremental” changes to the funding formula for school divisions are being made.

“This includes calculating funding based on the best of the last three years of enrollment,” Schmidt said.

“In addition, we will be reconstituting the stakeholder advisory committee on school funding to identify further opportunities to improve the way education is funded in our province going forward.”

A complete overhaul of the funding model was announced by the former Progressive Conservative government, but was not pursued by the current administration, at least when it comes to this year’s announcement.

Schmidt vowed, however, to continue dialogue with school divisions, staff, and families to “provide stable and predictable funding” for schools. The system as it exists, with a reliance on property taxes, can make it harder for divisions in poorer areas to raise adequate funding, she said.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

City council held a pair of public hearings related to the lagoon project set to kick off this spring to open its regular meeting, Feb. 3.

The hearings centred on Bylaw 02/2025 and Bylaw 03/2025, which allow for financing $9.1 million of the City’s portion of the $20 million project.

Bylaw 02/2025 authorizes the expenditure and borrowing of $4,692,500 as a local improvement to be paid through taxation, while Bylaw 03/2025 allows for a further $4,692,500 to be paid back by way of a utility surcharge.

Additionally, the City’s portion will be topped up with $58,000 from the Gas Tax Reserve Fund and $971,000 from the Water and Sewer Reserve. The remainder of the funding comes by way of a $9,135,000 grant through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

Added to taxes

Councillors opted to add to receivable accounts to the tax rolls in the amount of $469.18. That total is comprised of $201.07 owing at 38 7th Ave. SE for weed control costs and $268.11 outstanding at 108 3rd Ave. NE, also for weed control costs.

Recreation

In her report to council, city manager Sharla Griffiths updated on the efforts of senior administration pertaining to recreation. Hours of discussion have resulted in some direction for Dauphin Recreation Services to consider in both the long term and short term. The City remains committed to working collaboratively with the RM of Dauphin to establish a fair and sustainable recreation agreement that ensures the long-term success of local recreation programs and facilities, given that both councils recognize the vital role that recreation plays in enhancing the quality of life for residents and the importance of ensuring that facilities remain accessible, well-maintained and financially supported.

Performance management

Griffiths informed councillors administrators have been working on a performance management policy and review forms to better deal with employee performance in a fair and consistent manner. Performance management, she said, is a tool to measure an employee’s performance and to track their progress throughout their time with the City.

Radon plan

Deputy city manager Lisa Gaudet updated councillors on the radon file. Utilizing a $15,000 grant through Health Canada’s Radon Outreach Contribution Program, Gaudet has raised awareness about the dangers of radon in the community and has developed a draft of a City of Dauphin Radon Action Plan, to guide a  radon education and action campaign in the future. Gaudet hopes the plan serves as a model for other municipalities to  follow, igniting further action at the provincial and federal levels to support radon action.

The plan will be presented for council’s approval at its next regular meeting, Feb. 24.

Accounts approved

Council authorized the issuance of 26 cheques totalling $287,007.82 to cover outstanding accounts. Three electronic payments were also approved, totalling $17,320.23.

Curling rink chiller

Councillors gave Dauphin Recreation Services the go ahead to order a new chiller for the Parkland Recreation Complex curling rink at a cost of approximately $220,000 plus applicable taxes. While such purchases would normally wait to be included in the City’s operating budget,  the lead time for procurement and installation prior to next curling season meant the request had to be expedited. The purchase will be financed by funds withdrawn from the City’s Active Living and Recreation Reserve.

DRS also sent requests for additional 2025 capital expenditures including a pool change room rooftop unit at an estimated cost of $62,000, pool sandblasting and painting at a total project cost of $25,000 (with $10,000 already allocated by DRS) and a paint sprayer for ice making at an estimated cost of $16,000. Those requests were forwarded to budget deliberations.

To see the full story, read this week's edition of the Dauphin Herald.

Come this spring Dauphinites will be able to attend functions in comfort in the Johnston and Company Auditorium at the Watson Arts Centre.

The new name for the WAC auditorium recognizes a $35,000 donation by the local law firm to mark its 100th anniversary. 

The donation includes an initial contribution of $25,000, with the remaining $10,000 to be provided over the next five years and completes the centre’s fund-raising campaign for a new heat pump system.

Watson Arts Centre board chair Cam Bennet said the Dauphin and District Allied Arts Council (DDAAC) is thrilled to partner with community-minded business such as Johnston and Company on the project.

“The naming rights for the auditorium have long been a dream for the DDAAC,” he said.

“We were looking at maybe two or three years of fund-raising to get this done and it really put us over the top in our fund-raising efforts to install heat pump technology in the Johnston and Company Auditorium.”

Jason Beyette said he and his partners at the law firm were looking to make a lasting impact on the community to mark the special anniversary.

“The Watson Arts Centre, with its history of enriching lives throughout the Parkland, perfectly aligns with our values of community service,” Beyette said.

“We had, in our minds, wanted to do something in our 100th anniversary year and we didn’t have anything in mind going into it. Then we considered the promotion there for the cooling system for the Watson Arts Center and we thought it would be nice for us to cement our name with the arts center for a 10-year agreement for the naming rights to the auditorium.”

Founded in 1924, Johnston and Company have provided legal services to the Parkland for more than 100 years. The firm specializes in real estate, wills and estates, and corporate commercial law, while maintaining a strong tradition of community involvement.

“We’ve always been ingrained in our communities and trying to support our communities outside of the practice of law,” Beyette said.

“When I came to the firm, that was always the belief of the partners who were there. We just try to make sure that we’re supportive of the community that helped us grow.”

Johnston and Company’s commitment to community service spans numerous local organizations, Beyette said, including the Dauphin and District Community Foundation, Dauphin Agricultural  Society, Rotary Club of Dauphin, The Northgate Trails, and the Dauphin Co-op board of directors.

Bennet said a request for proposals for the supply and installation of the heat pump has been issued with the hope that the equipment will be cooling the building by this summer.

The equipment ensures the WAC will be open and available for events 12 months of the year.

In the past, the auditorium would become uncomfortably hot in the summer, Bennet said, making it virtually unusable on hotter days.

“I made a point of going down during the street fair this last summer, because it was a really hot day, and I measured the temperature upstairs. It was 32 degrees in the balcony, so that certainly limits what you can do there in the those months,” Bennet said.

“The whole campaign was built around we wanted to lower the temperature 12 degrees so that we can be open 12 months of the year.”

The Johnston and Company Auditorium will continue as a cornerstone of cultural life in the Parkland, Bennet said, hosting theatre productions, concerts, weddings, and community gatherings. The naming will take effect this spring, coinciding with the installation of the new climate control system in June.

A formal naming ceremony will take place at that time.

As the health region spending the most, Prairie Mountain Health has been directed to reduce private agency nursing costs by 15 per cent by the end of this fiscal year.

Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara issued the directive last week as part of a systemwide effort to refocus funding on nurses in the public system.

“Prairie Mountain Health has consistently been dealt a bad hand,” said Asagwara.

“Alongside the challenges in the area, the previous government gave the region little to no support by cutting services, closing ERs and firing nurses resulting in millions overspent on private nursing agencies. Enough is enough. It’s time to put a hard stop on private for-profit nursing agency over-spending and re-invest in the public system. Our government is committed to working with all health regions to bring nurses back into the public system.”

In an emailed statement Prairie Mountain Health indicated patient care will be a priority as it works to fulfill the government’s directive.

“Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) is committed to providing consistent, safe, reliable and quality care. PMH commends the work of the Province in reducing reliance on agency nursing. We are diligently working to reduce our dependency on private agencies,” the statement read.

“The recent issue of the request for proposal referenced in the provincial announcement is a step toward redirecting nurses into the public system. In addition, reducing the number of agency organizations will assist in streamlining administrative processes, and in reducing costs. Utilizing the provincial travel nurse team is also proving to be an effective way to reduce agency nurse usage.”

The statement also indicated the health authority remains committed to hiring nurses into the provincial system.

“We remain focused on recruitment strategies including promoting the advantages of working for PMH versus agency.  PMH offers robust staff wellness resources, a pension plan and benefits that are not usually available through private employers,” the statement read.

“Regional recruitment initiatives also include attendance at career fairs, offering student practicums, and local and provincial grants and incentives.”

PC Health Critic Kathleen Cook said attempts by the government to shift the focus to PMH is simply a distraction from their own failures to address problems in the system.

Documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests show agency nursing costs in PMH have increased by 25 per cent this year, with the province on track to spend more than $25 million on agency nurses in Prairie Mountain Health alone.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of The Dauphin Herald.