The Manitoba Assessment Branch has presented its property reassessment report to municipal leaders across the province. The reassessment process was carried out in 2016, and the new values will be applied in the 2018 tax year.

Not surprisingly, the assessed value of farmland has risen significantly in the Municipality of Rhineland, something Reeve Don Wiebe expected.

"We anticipated about a 25 percent average increase in farmland assessment, and in actuality, it turns out to be 29 percent.

That compares to a 4.5 percent rise in the commercial assessment and a 2.5 percent increase in the assessed value of residential property. That means farmland is again carrying a larger share of the municipal and school tax load.

"In the big picture, it means farmland assessment now represents about 60 percent of our investment pool in Rhineland. That used to be about 50 percent or slightly under, so you can see the assessment burden is shifting to farmland."

Rhineland council has written a letter to Premier Brian Pallister encouraging the province to examine the situation from a question of fairness.

Keystone Agricultural Producers, which is also pushing for changes, points out the levy does not take into account a farmer's ability to pay their taxes, because it's simply based on the land value.