Town of Bonnyville residents who are late paying their taxes will be facing different consequences.
During their regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, council voted in favour of changing the existing tax penalty bylaw to include incremental fines over a period time. The new bylaw will take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
A two per cent penalty will be added on the first of each month someone's late paying their taxes from July to December, which will replace the current 12 per cent fine that occurs on July 1.
According to town administration, there are currently 299 accounts that have unpaid taxes totalling just over $380,000. Another 69 accounts were in arrears equalling around $400,000 of unpaid fees, and $1.07-million was from 51 accounts that were delinquent, meaning they haven't been paid for two years or more.
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Council passes community room agreement
Local groups and organizations will be able to rent out the community room at the town hall.
After reviewing standards put in place by local companies that have similar spaces, such as the Shaw House, administration presented a policy that was accepted during the meeting.
"We've covered most everything in terms of time, dates, rentals, and the possibility for rental fees where we noted that it's reserved mainly for not-for-profit organizations," explained Katherine Currie, director of planning and development, adding there would be a fee for associations that don't fall under that category.
Some of the standards outlined in the policy included no smoking on the premises, a valid liquor license is required to serve alcohol, the room must be cleaned up once the event is over, and the organizer has to lock-up once they're done.
The policy will be reviewed by the municipality annually to see if any issues have arisen that need to be addressed.
Supporting the Town of Peace River
After receiving a letter from the Town of Peace River regarding a decision by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) about a GST audit, the town agreed to join them in advocating against the decision.
"The CRA made a decision that the funds they received... as a donation toward the construction of a community recreation complex from the rural municipality was subject to GST," explained CAO Mark Power. "Therefore, the $8-million that they got included a five per cent GST."
As there were concerns about the Intermunicipal Collaborative Framework (ICF) funds being subject to GST, Power believed it was prudent for the town to support Peace River.
Applying for the community partnership grant
Administration will be submitting an application for a finance officer intern through the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grant.
If approved, the town would receive $43,000 to cover a portion of the costs for hiring an intern. The municipality's contribution would be approximately $60,000, which would cover salary, benefits, and training.
The costs will be added to the 2020/21 operating budget.
