City Council plans to include multi-unit residential properties in the properties that must help to pay for the proposed upgrades to the Union Hospital.

 

The Capital Budge has been given final approval by Moose Jaw City Council and there's one big thing you should now about if you live in an apartment.

Council is moving ahead with the expansion of the hospital levy to include multi-unit residential properties in 2008. Director of Finance Brian Acker tells us right now each property is charged the levy but the plan is for each dwelling to be charged the $40. "Council will basically give us the authority to go out and enumerate all of the multi-unit residential properties in 2007, make changes to our tax system so that starting in 2008 we would be able to implement that multi-unit residential hospital levy."

If this were not done, every other property owner in Moose Jaw would see the levy increase this year from $40 to $46 due to inflation to the estimated cost of the hospital upgrade. This way everyone who uses the hospital is contributing.

City Council continues to press the provincial government to fully fund to the project like they do with similar projects in Saskatoon and Regina. Those two cities have 100 per cent of their health upgrades paid for by the province. Moose Jaw and smaller communities must pay 35 per cent of the price tag.