Border Land holds its mill rate

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This article was published 22/02/2015 (3350 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The numbers have been crunched and presented to the public. Ratepayers of Border Land School Division heard the board’s financial plan during a public meeting last Tuesday evening and the plan includes keeping the mill rate at 16.8 mills, the same as last year.

Despite that move, there will still be an increase in the amount of education taxes being collected.

“Assessment increase has been budgeted at around $10.6 million which is an increase of 1.6 percent,” explained secretary-treasurer Rachel Geirnaert.

A 2.9 percent increase in provincial funding has allowed the division to increase its surplus by $432,000 to $1.3 million. That is four percent of the division’s $32.9 budget and within the amount allowed by the province.

“It sounds like a large surplus but for the school division, it’s not,” Geirnaert said. “A new heating system is needed for one school (Shevchenko School in Vita) and we are working with the Public Schools Finance Board to fund the project. But if there is no financing, the division will cover the cost.”

The board has budgeted $1 million for the Shevchenko project.