http://www.katepwabeach.com/bins/index.asp

Do the cottage owners at Wakaw know about this

See also the following........

Resort tax burden
Wed, Sep 3, 2008 06:09 PM CS
IT'S QUIET ON KATEPWA. ONLY THE WEATHER COULD DO THAT. COTTAGE COUNTRY IS HOT PROPERTY, AND THERE'S A RACE TO CREATE MORE ROOM. RON WEIBEL/Berry Hills Development "More and more people are trying to get out of the city to a place that's a little more quiet." THE HOUSING DEMAND HAS DRIVEN UP PRICES ACROSS THE PROVINCE, BUT ESPECIALLY AT THE LAKES. WHERE RETIREMENT AND VACATION DREAMS - BOUGHT FOR 80 OR 90 THOUSAND DOLLARS - ARE ABOUT TO COLLIDE WITH THE REALITY OF REASSESSMENT. FRED WEEKLEY/Mayor, Katepwa District "Property is now valued at $600,000. They're going to lose their homes it's a simple as that." FRED SMITH HAS HAD A PLACE AT KATEPWA FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS. FACING A POTENTIAL 70 PERCENT INCREASE WOULD MEAN ONE THING. FRED SMITH/Nearly 40 Years at the Lake "I'd drop out. I'd have to sell the place cause I'm retired." BIG HOMES, AND BIG INVESTORS ARE AN EASY TARGET FOR DRIVING UP TAXES. BUT RALPH WOOD, WHO'S ALSO LIVED AT THE LAKE FOR 4 DECADES, WELCOMES THE NEIGHBOURS. RALPH WOOD/4 Decades at Katepwa "If folks want to squander their money then say - oh big cottages should pay more. To me that's not fair." THE BURDEN COMES FROM THE EDUCATION PORTION OF PROPERTY TAX. IT'S ESPECIALLY HIGH IN RESORT COMMUNITIES WHICH REQUIRE LITTLE LOCAL TAX. KATEPWA HAS A GROWING PETITION TO MOVE THAT BURDEN ELSEWHERE. AN INCREASE TO PROVINCIAL SALES TAX IS WHERE THE COMMUNITIES MAYOR WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT. THAT WAY THOSE WHO COULD AFFORD MORE - WOULD PAY MORE. FRED WEEKLEY/Mayor, Katepwa District "Brad and the boys have to get this done sooner rather than later." WEEKLEY ADMITS IT MAY NOT BE POPULAR, BUT IT WOULD BE FAIR. IT'S AN IDEA THAT'S ALSO BEING SHARED WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES - ESPECIALLY RURAL WHERE THE EDUCATION EQUATION HAS BEEN QUESTIONED FOR YEARS. DAN MCINTOSH/CTV News "It will be a tall order to convince the government to change tax policy in a way that makes a significant difference. If the peitition can't do that - next year, a day at the beach will be much more expensive for many. Dan McIntosh CTV News, Katepwa." reposted from the CTV news web site in case it goes away Katepwa is in the Qu'Appelle valley E of Regina in S Saskatchewan Its all about the money. Ok ENOUGH