Ratepayers in the Municipality of Roblin came out to a public meeting last night to hear about five proposed special service levies.

Over 100 people came out to hear about the levies on recreation, street lighting, recycling, waste, and essential services such as policing and fire.

Ron Landry, a ratepayer who was a former Town of Roblin Councillor and has lived in the area for 52 years, finds this a fairer system than what was implemented in previous years.

“I think that what they are proposing is much more equitable than the former system we had and that if people have questions and get them clarified, and concerns, I think the people that were here explaining are prepared to listen and I think they did a very good job of explaining what was there.”

Landry knows people are confused about taxation.

“I think generally people have a misconception about taxation, generally. For instance mill rate is an issue that most people don’t understand and they don’t recognize that the assessment branch had the biggest influence.  If we’re not prepared to accept what they give us, what the assessment branch assess us at, our municipality has no say in that at all.  Go to a Court of Revision Hearing and enjoy sitting with the assessment branch; it’s not a nice experience, I guarantee you.”

The majority of people in attendance at the meeting were in favour of the levies.