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Now, if you are a property of another level of government, you can get all that stuff for nothing, because it is paid for by property tax. Is that really fair?

Well … beginning back in the 1930s, provincial Crown corporations began to say to Moose Jaw … we think we should help pay for those things we absolutely need and value … fire protection, police protection, water and sewer, garbage collection, bus service, streets and sidewalks. And we also appreciate that, Moose Jaw, you don’t charge us to bury our power lines and gas lines in city property, like you would tax us, if we were private corporations. Therefore, 80 years ago, provincial Crown corporations started to voluntarily pay “grants in lieu of taxes” to the City of Moose Jaw.

Did they have to do that? No. Was it the right thing to do? Yes … for 80 years.

Now, the Saskatchewan Party government says, “We’re not doing that anymore. Good luck, Moose Jaw.”

Loss to Moose Jaw? $2.7 million. Cost to each Moose Jaw property owner? Eleven per cent extra on your city tax assessment.

I am confident that our city council will do everything they can to keep our city taxes from going up an extra 11 per cent. They will put off some projects, including infrastructure, to future years, falling further behind. They may reduce some services. They will not do some things that should be done. But they won’t be able to make the Saskatchewan Party government’s grants in lieu cut just, somehow, magically disappear. Can’t be done. This year or next year, the year after that …

I never thought I would ever see this betrayal of property owners, from our provincial government.

Hagel was mayor of Moose Jaw from 2009-2012,

and an NDP MLA from 1986-2007