It may be another six to nine months away but some members of Moose Jaw City Council are already trying to prepare for the 2008 budget season.

 

It was explored back in 2002 and overwhelming public outcry had councillors, at the time, squirming in their seats. It's now 2007 and the idea of a base tax is being explored again by Moose Jaw City Council.

Finance Director Brian Acker admits if a base tax was implemented there would be a shift of property taxes from the more expensive properties to the lesser value ones. But there is a solid theory to the idea. "What a lot of communities have done and how they've justified the base tax is that everyone should pay a base amount for basic service. For example, protective services and regardless of the value of your property you should pay your portion of protective services. So based on that you would have a base tax of 400 or 600 dollars and everyone would pay that."

Councillor Darin Chow has asked for a report on the idea of implementing a base tax as a way to prepare for the 2008 tax season next spring. Chow says he is simply looking for options and no decisions have been made.

A discussion on the idea has been scheduled for the July 16th meeting of council.