An emergency meeting was held for the Rural Municipality of Corman Park to reduce the recent 36 per cent property tax hike.

After more than three hours of discussion, a 20 per cent tax hike was approved Monday afternoon.

The 16 per cent change will be achieved by lowering the uniform mil rate from 10.55 to 9.0 for 2012.

"It is going to mean less of a tax increase. It will drop it under $200 anywhere in the (rural municipality)," said Reeve Mel Henry.

Many other ideas were passed around including levies, flat taxes, and dipping into the reserves but Henry said that this option was the best compromise.

"A 20 per cent tax increase is probably not going to be welcomed with open arms to everyone, but we still are not helping the (rural municipality) out here," Henry said.

He said that reducing the property tax hike will have consequences.

"People are going to have to lower their expectations," he said.

"It's going to mean less road maintenance and we are certainly not going to do to ... a majority of the pavement improvements that we looked at."
He said that people may seem happier, but they will still have to work to get the finances demanded from the previous 36 per cent tax increase.

"We are fast approaching the point when our reserves are not going to be enough to meet our demand. We still have financial trouble," he said.

"That day of reckoning is going to come."

kmalone@rawlco.com