Brandon city councillors approve 1.92% property tax increase in 2022 budget

Brandon City Council passed a smaller property tax increase than it had originally proposed in its 2022 budget.

Property taxes will rise by 1.92 per cent in 2022, significantly less than the 6.9 per cent increase the city had been considering.

The total budget for Manitoba's second-largest city is $225 million.

Coun. Kris Desjarlais says it was a challenging budget to navigate, but a modest increaseto property taxes was something the mayor and council wanted to ensure.

"We really had to roll up our sleeves this year and and find a way to bring down what was brought to us by administration, which was a 6.9per cent tax increase," he said in an interview with CBC News.

In a news release, the city said councillors debated several amendments in all areas of municipal spending.

Initiatives in the budget included drainage improvements, $100,000 for lead pipe replacement, increasingrecreation programs including construction of two new playgrounds, and improvements to downtown, Brandon's community sportsplex and water treatment plants.

Urban renewal is important to Desjarlais.

"Downtown is struggling and we've seen a lot of businesses close through the pandemic, and those who were struggling and at high risk before the pandemic or aremarginalized individuals are certainly bearing the brunt of the pandemic," he said.

"It's the heart of our city and we need to to show some love there and hopefully we can turn things around this year."

The approved property tax increase is less than the rate of inflation, which reached a 30-year high of 4.8 per cent this month.

Now that the budget has received council approval, it moves to the public hearing stage, for a date to be set some time this spring.

The city has struggled with the pressures of inflation and the ongoing pandemic, which has hammered revenues.

In 2021, Brandon city council reduced the residential property tax rate by one per cent, after proposing an increase of 3.15 per cent.