Assessment is the first step in the process of gaining taxation revenues. After a property has been assessed, the applicable tax rate determines how much of the estimated value is taxable.
Currently, municipalities are responsible for hiring assessors to inspect industrial properties and
assess their values. Nowak said there’ s nothing wrong with that system so there’ s no point in changing it.
“We have good-quality contractors who verify those numbers,” he said.
A comprehensive review of the MGA is underway, and the bill should be tabled in the Legislature this week. At press time, the Municipal Affairs Minister was expected to visit Lac La Biche for a town hall meeting this Thursday, June 2, at the Lakeland Agricom.
Nowak said a review of the legislation isn’ t a bad thing, but centralizing rarely bodes well for this county in his experience, he said, using the example of Alberta Health Services’ “superboard,” which moved decision- making power far away from this area.
“It did not do our community any good,” said Nowak.
This county isn’ t alone in voicing opposition to the idea of centralizing industrial assessment. The Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties has already sent a letter to the Municipal Affairs Minister, and the Alberta Assessors Association issued a report earlier this year that advised against centralizing.
According to Lac La Biche County documents, this municipality has around $1.7 billion worth of
assessed industrial property, generating more than $30 million in taxation revenues yearly.
Nowak said the county has a high reliance on industrial taxation, so the importance of handling assessment correctly should be clear.
“One only needs to look at our budget for the county,” he said.
The MGA town hall is scheduled for this Thursday, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
