Ratepayers in the L.U.D of Gretna had the opportunity Wednesday to speak to a proposed expansion of the community's special services by-law.

Essentially all of the delegations that presented at the public hearing advocated on behalf of Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) which, according to the Chair of the school's Board of Directors, will perhaps be hit hardest if the changes are approved.

Lyle Thiessen says the proposal poses a financial hardship the private Christian school isn't prepared to absorb, adding the revised by-law would triple its tax bill for 2020.

"We've been having a lower enrollment in the last couple of years, and that has caused significant budget strain," he said. "We're doing our best to trim our costs where we can, and this is an unexpected increase that we didn't have in the budget and aren't prepared for right now."

As a result, the MCI Board of Directors is requesting Council for the Municipality of Rhineland holds off on making any changes for two years.

Under the proposal, the expanded levy would encompass additional services while making currently exempt properties, like schools and churches to name a few, subject to it. Council is suggesting to initially implement the changes for a two-year term, after which any alterations or extensions would need to be approved by the Manitoba Municipal Board.

The goal, according to the municipal council, is to more equitably reflect those receiving and paying for certain services. Additionally, the hope is to improve growth and attract development to what has been referred to as a "stagnant" community.

"As a school, we've been a valuable part of the Gretna community for more than a hundred and thirty years, and we're really eager to see the L.U.D. thrive and we want to be a part of that," said Harold Schlegel, Director of Donor Development for MCI. However, he adds the school needs to be able to balance its books as well. "So we want to partner with the L.U.D., with our municipal council, to be a good corporate citizen but there are real limits to what we can absorb in this year, the next and the year after that."

Schlegel noted that MCI is one of the largest employers in Gretna, adding its health and vibrancy brings a lot to the community and surrounding area. He encourages people to think about how to invest in that enterprise so that it may thrive in the future.

Meantime, Border Land School Division, which operates an elementary school in the community, would also be impacted by the changes if they are approved. Board Chair Craig Smiley says, however, this scenario isn't anything new for the division which has schools in other communities that are subject to similar levies.

The proposal, along with feedback garnered during the public hearing process, will be sent to the Manitoba Municipal Board for review before a decision is made.

Related article:

Expanded Special Services By-law Proposed For Gretna