The RM of Weyburn has maintained last year's taxation level for its 2004 budget.

From a budget of $1.392 million in expenditures, the municipality will collect $1.393 million in revenue, leaving it with an expected surplus of $1,400 at the end of 2004.

"It's important that we're able to keep the mill rate the same as last year because there are a lot of other costs going up," said acting reeve Carmen Stirling.

"Most of our ratepayers are agriculture-based and if they don't see an increase, we want to be able to say we're not taking more out of that pie."

Stirling said another incentive to the RM to keep the lid on costs is the provincial budget announcement last month that school divisions will be required to pay $750,000 this year to the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA). That amount will rise to $2.5 million after three years.

She raised the possibility boards may need to raise mill rates to pay for that.

But Sunrise Education Board finance director Bruce Kwochka said no mill rate increase will be necessary. The money has already been allocated from the department of learning for all school divisions, he said.

Stirling said the RM will spend a big chunk of its budget this year, almost half a million dollars, on road repair. About $368,000 will be spent on the Terminal Road connecting Highways 13 and 39. The provincial government will pay about two-thirds of the cost under its subsidy for heavy-haul road construction.

A$24,606 sand and sealing project will also be undertaken on the road past the new seed-cleaning plant southwest of Weyburn. The RM will pay about 40 per cent of the cost for that project, with the provincial government picking up part of the cost under the Prairie Grains Road project.

The municipality will spend about $15,000 a mile on two miles of Prospect Road and another two miles on the McTaggart Expressway and will spent $8,000-$12,000 to cut the tops off hills, improving sight lines on roads to the southeast of Weyburn.

The RM also will sand seal the road past the Weyburn Livestock Exchange at a total cost of $20,000. No federal or provincial subsidy is available for that road.

In addition, gravel will be laid to maintain other roads in the RM at a cost of about $200,000.

The RM will take about $75,000 from its $250,000 in reserves for the road projects. That money was set aside for roads when it was time for them to be completed, said Stirling.

Councillors discussed a ratepayer recommendation to eliminate spring road bans but concluded they are needed to protect roads. "If you could count on everyone respecting the roads like the ratepayer does, you could take them off," said Stirling.