Manitoba Families, Businesses Facing Avalanche of School Property Tax Increases After NDP Under-Fund Education
WINNIPEG — Manitoba families and businesses are bracing for significant education property tax increases as school divisions release details of their draft budgets this spring. The tax hikes follow the NDP’s lack of funding for school divisions, with school operating funding reduced from $53.1 million last year, to $51 million this year.
“We’ve heard it from school divisions and school trustees. They’re all saying they’re facing a decline in real funding,” said Lac du Bonnet MLA Wayne Ewasko, PC Critic for Education. “Manitoba families are now bracing for another round of significant education property tax increases because the NDP are under-funding education.”
Budgets for the following school divisions have been tabled:
- Brandon School Division approves a 7.25% education property tax increase;
- St. James-Assiniboia School Division proposes a 9% education property tax increase
- Winnipeg School Division proposes a 9.3% education property tax increase
School divisions say that funding from the NDP government has not kept pace with inflation, forcing them to pass the shortfall onto ratepayers.
“Wab Kinew and his NDP took away all the guardrails to protect homeowners,” said Midland MLA Lauren Stone, PC Critic for Finance. “They cancelled PCs’ 50% rebate and removed school division caps. Without caps or limits on education property tax increases, NDP underfunding is forcing school boards to raise their rates, and homeowners are paying the price.”
“This is an unsustainable funding model. Wab Kinew is forcing school divisions to dig deeper into the pockets of Manitoba families again and again. In the midst of an affordability crisis, the NDP are increasing taxes on Manitoba families and businesses. Coupled with his income tax hikes and Manitoba’s food inflation rate being the second highest in Canada, Wab Kinew is making life unaffordable for Manitobans.”
In addition to the above, the average home in Pembina Trails School Division will potentially pay $156 more in school taxes, while homes in Seine River are looking at a $145 increase. More school divisions across Manitoba will present and finalize their budgets in the days and weeks ahead.
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