The Selinger government has offered a $1.2-million increase in tax incentive grant funding to the school board, but only if the school board agrees to not raise school tax rates this year. The trustees also argue that they are being forced to pay costs each year that are the responsibility of the provincial government -- most notably the cost of English as an Additional Language (EAL) education for the children of workers who have come to Brandon through the provincial government's successful immigrant recruitment program.
After seeking clarification from the province yesterday, division secretary treasurer Gerald Barnes tells the Sun that Brandon will, in fact, be in line for the tax incentive grant the province offered divisions to hold the line on property taxes in this week's funding announcement.
A Window on the Northwest
There was a public consultation attended by almost 200 people, where every single spending proposal in the budget was fully disclosed and discussed. * Brandon Chamber of Commerce representatives were present at that budget consultation, but they neither asked a question nor complained about any of the spending plans to which they now apparently object. * Approximately 80 per cent of the BSD's budget is tied up in salary expenses that are largely beyond the control of the school board. The editorial in Thursday's edition of this newspaper chastised the school board members for their unanimous decision to reject the province's tax incentive grant (TIG) financing.
In the wake of public criticism over the Brandon School Division board of trustees' recent decision to reject $1.2 million in provincial tax incentive grant cash and, instead, raise education taxes by 5.3 per cent this year, the board's finance committee chair Linda Ross issued a statement this week calling the province's process of educational funding "increasingly non-transparent.
Schools boards "will be feverishly crunching numbers over the next few days," Carolyn Duhamel, executive director of the Manitoba Association of School Trustees, said Thursday. "The tax incentive grant created a stir last year, and for some divisions was problematic," she said. [Peter Bjornson] would not commit to providing the tax incentive grant last year, and would not discuss what will happen when divisions empty their reserve funds. "I won't answer hypothetical questions," said the minister. Manitoba Teachers' Society president Pat Isaak praised the Doer government for its focus on improving equity among school divisions. "We're pleased to see the focus on increased equalization," she said.
Bio Talk - Scientific research and development
By Kerry Auriat Take a deep breath and think about the Brandon School Division's annual budget process. To argue about taxes without discussing the tax incentive grant (TIG) or, more importantly, spending, is like arguing over pizza crust -- the real action is elsewhere. How many folks at the chamber, Sound Off submissions and letters to the editor would go away if only the school trustees accepted the TIG?
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