Fees in the home home park haven't changed for 35 years. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

increasing fees

Town council adopts new mobile home park bylaw

Jul 24, 2024 | 3:34 PM

La Ronge council passed a new bylaw at a regular council meeting on Tuesday regulating the local mobile home park (MHP).

The changes come after a review of other communities with trailer park bylaws found that municipal rates are considerably low by today’s standards, which can be expected given the fees have not been changed for 35 years.

The park along Bedford Drive was purchased in December 2021 by Tia Watt through Mid-City, a company she co-owns with her husband, Jonathan Watt.

Major changes include utilities and environmental fees would be on the same schedule as all residents and allow for automatic billing, which increases accuracy and decreases the time to process bills. It also means discounts and penalties would be the same as all residents, and mobile home fees would see an increase equal to the average of the residential property tax revenue each year.

“Assuming the number of units in the MHP remain the same, mobile home fee revenue for the town would increase by less than $300/year (and thereafter by amounts equal to the percent increase of property taxes in a given year),” a document prepared ahead of the meeting states.

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“The fees have not been updated since 1989, however, inflation has increased by approximately 2.17 per cent per year since 1989.”

Specifically, the new bylaw brings forward the removal of an eight per cent commission to the owner of the MHP for collection of fees. In lieu of commissions on utility collections, the standard water and sewer discount would be available to the owner. The discount equates to a 16.67 per cent reduction for annual billing.

“In lieu of commissions on mobile home fees, discounts mirroring those offered to tax clients (as per the Tax Discounts and Penalties Bylaw) would be available,” the document notes.

“The current discounts are based on when payment is received (by September 30 equals five per cent, by October 31 equals four per cent, and by November 30 equals two per cent). Mobile home fees would change to annual billing versus monthly, and any deletions/additions of mobile homes in the MHP would be reconciled as required.”

Also, penalties for overdue accounts are now specified in the bylaw, and those penalties mirror those for utilities and taxes.

“If the MHP owner takes advantage of the earliest payment discount available (at five per cent), there will be a net increase of three per cent to the MHP owner that may or may not be passed along to clients,” the document adds.

“It is also recommended that mobile home fees would increase by five per cent for 2025 and 2026, which would allow for some catch up regarding rates that have not been adjusted for 35 years. For context, a five per cent increase would equate to less than $2.50 per month for a typical owner of a mobile home in a MHP. In 2027, and every subsequent year, the proposed increase would be equal to the change in residential property taxes.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com