Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not?
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A group of 21 licensed, non-profit daycares in Regina is meeting with city council’s executive committee Wednesday, continuing its fight to get property tax exemptions.
Colleen Schmidt, a member of the Cathedral Area Co-operative Daycare Centre who speaks on behalf of the group, said she’s hopeful being face-to-face with all city council will help win their case.
“I recognize the city’s position, there are a lot of good groups out there and they’ve got to balance a lot of competing interests, but the truth is daycare is something we really can’t compromise on,” she said.
Back in 2016, five centres banded together when these childcare centres were moved from the residential to commercial property tax category after a reassessment.
After several years, meetings and petitions later Schmidt said time hasn’t weathered the group’s passion around the matter because it’s something many will always care deeply about.
“It touches on so many peoples’ lives. For many Regina families, it’s purely a bread and butter issue,” she explained.
“We don’t want to see daycare prices skyrocketing. This exemption has to happen.”
Schmidt noted these childcare centres will save around $120,000 with the property tax exemption, which means parents will pay around $146 less per child for daycare.
She added that extra money can be better spent on healthier food and more qualified workers.
The group is expected to meet with executive council at 11:45 a.m. at City Hall.
