The Weyburn Public School board was quick Monday to refuse Weyburn city council's request to help share the half million dollar cost of bringing Wal-Mart to the city.

At its regular monthly meeting, board secretary treasurer Gord Young told the board that lawyers with the Saskatchewan School Trustees Association "were adamant" that the board should refuse the city's request. "It's not in our mandate to use tax dollars for property development," said Young. "We would be breaking the law."

Some board members were surprised by the request. "It boggles the mind to think we could turn dollars back to the city," said chair Dana Pretzer.

In its Dec. 6 letter to the public board, the city asked the board to turn back some of the tax revenue it will gain from the development.

City manager Bob Smith told the board the city will gain $150,000 in property tax revenue every year from the Wal-Mart development, one-half of which, about $75,000, must be turned over to the school divisions.

The public school board will receive about 60 per cent of the total school board share of the new tax revenue, with about 40 per cent to go to the smaller separate board.

The $400,000-plus in infrastructure costs for Wal-Mart will come from the city's property development fund, said Smith. Over the next six years, the city will use its share of Wal-Mart taxes to rebuild the fund.

If the school board would donate some or all of its $75,000 share of the property tax revenue, the development fund could be rebuilt in only three years, said Smith.

The request is a one-time thing, he said, and would set no precedent.

"We understand that economic development is not the normal role of the school division and that education is your first priority.

"However, as the Wal-Mart development does assist in the expansion of the tax base and revenue for the school divisions and the city, we would like to inquire if a proposal as mentioned above could be considered by the board," wrote Smith.