Tax Notice Letter 2026
Dear valued ratepayer,
There have been many changes for the Town of Lafleche staff and Council over the last 36 months. Moving forward, consistency offers enhanced trust and credibility, and an increase in productivity and efficiencies, which is what the taxpayer wants to see. Councillors Dan Jalbert and Julie Williams were acclaimed.
Joe Hochlander joined the Public Works team in late 2024 as Foreman. Joe has great attention to detail and is particular when it comes to taking care of the Town’s assets. He has been slowly updating and upgrading raw water infrastructure, shop supplies, and equipment.
Jacey Kukura is the Town’s current and local Water Treatment Plant Operator. She received her Class 1 Certification in both Water Treatment and Water Distribution from the Saskatchewan Operator Certification Board in Fall of 2025, upon completion of her working hours. Jacey started working as a summer student in 2024, but decided to stay and commit to the Water Treatment Plant Operator challenge. She is smart and a quick learner. When Jacey is able to, she assists with Public Works tasks. She has notified the Town that she will be returning to school in Fall of 2026, so be sure to wish her well in her studies if you see her!
Administration-wise, Liann Perrault is the part-time Administrative Assistant in the Town Office, and I am the Acting CAO until I receive my Standard Certificate from the Board of Examiners. Brekke will continue as my mentor until I am certified and confident in the role, which I am very grateful for as she is a phenomenal mentor and extremely knowledgeable in municipal governance.
The Town of Lafleche Council deliberated its cash budget in February meetings on February 12 and 24. New Council and administration meant more discussion and clarifications before final approval. The mill rate for 2026 remained at 10.5 mills, with a $750 base tax on land and land with improvements in all property classes. The cash revenues budgeted are $1,058,616, while the cash expenditures budgeted are $1,127,710, with a transfer of $69,100 from reserves, resulting in a surplus of $6 for the year. The financial synopsis for 2025 was not available to send out with the tax notices. Once it is received, it will be available for pick up or viewing at the municipal office.
There have been ongoing repairs and replacements at the water treatment plant, which did influence Council’s decision at the budget meetings to apply to the Saskatchewan Municipal Board (SMB) for an increase to the water and sewer rates. Council was informed that the SMB approved the rates set in Bylaw No. 542-26 on April 30 at its May 14th regular meeting. As such, on the June 2026 Utility Billing for April 15 through June 17, the rates have been adjusted as of April 30 to reflect the approved rates for 2026 through 2027. At the end of 2027, in deliberations for the 2028 budget, Council will determine whether to go through with the increase approved for 2028. The increases were mentioned in the April 2026 “In the Know” newsletter, but in case a reminder is wanted, I have included the consolidated rate schedule below.
| 2026/2027 Monthly Rates (2 Months Per Billing) | 2028, or Thereafter, Monthly Rates (2 Months/Billing) |
| Water:
Town: Base – $28.00 Per Gallon – $0.028 All Rural: Base – $33.00 Per Gallon – $0.033 Bulk Fill: Per Gallon – $0.033 Sewer: $17.50 per month, except where specified as being a high usage facility (variable). |
Water:
Town: Base – $31.75 Per Gallon – $0.030 All Rural: Base – $35.00 Per Gallon – $0.035 Bulk Fill: Per Gallon – $0.035 Sewer: $21.75 per month, except where specified as being a high usage facility (variable). |
Raw water in Lafleche is somewhat of a luxury if you will. Not many other towns are supplied with raw water to use for keeping lawns and flowers beautiful. As part of responsible stewardship for the available water resources, the Town asks residents to refrain from watering during the heat of the day and when the wind is unfavorable. Watering in these conditions results in a majority of the water failing to reach the plants, which is not going to help them any regardless, and wastes the available water for the service, which could result in it being shut off if the pond gets too low. The Town reserves the right to limit raw water use throughout the day and may consider, if necessary, shutting it down from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and, only if further necessary, shutting it down for entire days throughout the week. The last two weeks have seen many repairs to the pumps, lines, etc. Please be patient; if there seems to be low pressure at one point of the day, try again later.
Where a resident is reported for misuse of raw water, whether it be watering on non-water days, or filling large volumes at a time, Policy 2-03 Section 4, requires administration to do the following:
- Send a letter to the ratepayer indicating that they were reported as using the raw water service on their unscheduled day and remind of the schedule;
- If the ratepayer continues to use the raw water service on their unscheduled day, that a fifty-dollar ($50) fine will be put on the next utility billing. If not paid by December 31st of any given year, the fine will be applied to that property’s taxes;
- If the ratepayer is still not complying with the above, an employee of the Town will shut the ratepayer’s raw water service off for one calendar year.
Advertisements for new employees have been published and put up around Town, this is to assist in succession planning and good fiscal management for the Town. If you or anyone you know would be interested in pursuing a career or a casual position in municipal employment, please do not hesitate to reach out. There are vacancies across the province in all municipal employment departments, so feel free to encourage youth you know to consider public employment as a possible career route.
Council meets on the second Thursday of every month. Ratepayers are welcome to attend to view, and to speak about a pressing concern or specific issue of theirs. To attend and speak at a meeting, it is required that a delegation form be completed and submitted within a reasonable time, of at least 48 hours, prior to the Council meeting. This allows administration to publish notice to the public through the agenda.
Public documents (including bylaws, minutes, financial statements, etc.) are available for viewing in the Town Office during office hours; typically, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Should you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns about anything, please do not hesitate to contact the office at 306-472-5292, e-mail town.of.lafleche@sasktel.net, or send letter mail to Box 250.
Have a great summer!
Sincerely,
Mikayla Tallon, BAJ, ACLGA, CPR
Acting CAO/Town of Lafleche
