MOOSE JAW — The City of Moose Jaw’s 2025 budget proposes adding over $50 to taxpayers’ annual bills for the municipal tax hike, but if other utility and infrastructure levies are included, that number jumps to almost $300.
City hall is proposing to increase municipal property taxes in 2025 by 2.88 per cent or adding $4.46 per month or $53.52 per annually for the “average homeowner,” the budget report says.
Furthermore, taxpayers will still be paying the waterworks infrastructure levy of $8.33 per month or $100 per year to support the cast iron replacement program and the parks and recreation levy of $5.41 per month or $65 per year to support the department’s efforts to maintain its many venues.
The proposed municipal tax hike and both levies add up to $18.20 per month or $218.52 per year to property bills.
Meanwhile, the Moose Jaw Police Service is asking for an operating budget increase of 7.43 per cent or an extra $909,871 over 2024. City administration says this increase will likely translate into a municipal tax increase of 2.35 per cent, since one percentage point of taxation this year is roughly $387,100.
It is not yet known how much extra money the police budget request will add to taxpayers’ overall bills. That will be known once the agency presents its budget and council accepts it.
Meanwhile, the budget proposes increasing waterworks utility rates and sanitary sewer utility rates by four per cent each, for a total of eight per cent.
For the “average property taxpayer,” this equates to an extra $5.55 per month or $66.60 per month for both utilities.
Furthermore, the solid waste garbage collection rate will increase by 31 cents per month or $3.72 annually and the recycling fees will increase by 10 cents per month or $1.20 annually. Therefore, this will add an extra $4.92 per month or $59.04 per year in total.
Combining the proposed municipal tax hike, the water and sewer utility increases, the waterworks and parks and recreation infrastructure levies, and the garbage and recycling fees — but excluding the police service request — the total increase homeowners could face next year would be $28.67 per month or $344.04 for the year.
The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com will have a complete breakdown of the proposed 2025 budget in the coming days and weeks, after council kicked off its budget discussions on Jan. 14.
