Some farmers in the RM of Benson may have lost their tax revolt battle Monday night, but they will continue to fight the war.

Farmer and businessman Art Mainil, who started the movement in Benson, said even though ratepayers voted by a clear majority to reject a tax revolt, momentum for the idea is growing.

"You learn from a meeting like that - at the next one we'll be more prepared. (Representatives from) 10 RMs came in with their petitions. This is the answer, and there will be more," he said.

Petitions have been circulating in the RMs of Wellington, Francis, Scott, Brokenshell and Griffin, among others. Farmer Ron Borys says there is support for a tax revolt in the RM of Francis.

"In this RM the majority of farmers we talked to will not be able to afford to pay their taxes. There's just not enough money to go around," he said. "We're trying to get governments to open their eyes and realize what's going on."
Farmers say the revolts aren't aimed at the RMs themselves - the fact that they collect the education tax on property make them the target.

Mainil says reeves should be supporting farmers in their fight against education tax on farm land rather than backing away from the issue.

"The reeve is a little timid. He didn't have the courage to stand up for it. When you start something like this it's a big change, and people don't like change - it takes courage to study a major change and see the value in it," Mainil said.

Richard Hagel, reeve of the RM of Benson, says the facts are simple - if ratepayers don't pay their taxes they won't receive essential services like snow removal, grading, gravelling and more.

"We all realize that the education tax is getting out of hand, but to start at the municipal level is the wrong place. We're going to have an election pretty soon. Start with the politicians, discuss the tax issue with them and see where they stand," Hagel suggested.

Of the approximately 200 people at the meeting, Hagel said around 75 of them were not ratepayers but farmers interested in the tax revolt idea in their own RM. Hagel said while those farmers dominated the debate, a clear majority of ratepayers did not want a tax revolt.

Mainil says the system of voting was unfair.

"It was a poor way of voting. If it was really fair, we should've voted on a per quarter section basis rather than one vote per person. In my case I should've had three votes," Mainil explained, since he is the executor of his father's estate, and owns land through his company and personally.

He said speakers like Sinclair Harrison, who told ratepayers that the RM could be held liable if withholding services resulted in an accident, used scare tactics that weren't realistic.

"If there was to be a lawsuit our act covers municipalities for everything they are legally bound to do - if the RM chose to withdraw their services that may be in contravention of the act," Harrison responded.

Harrison said he sympathizes with farmers who say education taxes are too high, and can't afford to pay their taxes. But he doesn't agree revolt tactics against municipalities will produce a ripple-like effect that will eventually be felt by the feds.

"If they feel they're going to get attention from the federal government by withholding local taxes they better try another tactic, because Ottawa could care less. If you want the attention of the federal government, don't pay your income tax," he said.

Hagel says the RM has the right to impose penalties on those who do not pay their taxes. Personal possessions, crops and land could be sold to pay tax arrears.