ST. PAUL - According to information presented by Accurate Assessments on March 28, overall assessment values in the Town of St. Paul appear to have remained on par with the previous year, although slight dips have been noted in some areas.
Bob Daudelin, assessment specialist with Accurate Assessments was on hand to present the most recent data to the Town of St. Paul council. When comparing 2020 to 2021, residential assessments have remained "basically unchanged," said Daudelin.
When looking at non-residential assessments, that number has decreased by about three pre cent, while linear assessments are up by one per cent.
Farmland assessments were unchanged, but exempt properties were up by three per cent. Exempt properties include government-owned facilities, such as schools, healthcare facilities, and more.
Speaking about the three per cent decrease in non-residential assessments, Daudelin said the effects of the pandemic are part of the reason for the drop. Although, he noted that some businesses - such as the fast food industry - saw very little impact.
Daudelin presented council with a five-year chart that showed residential assessments were on a four-year decline, but that trend appears to be flattening out.
Non-residential assessments have remained fairly static, but a slight decline was shown on the graph, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking at the total assessments, Daudelin said "the drop is stopping" and he believes things are changing, for the better. It appears that residential properties are starting to go up in value again, and during the pandemic people were not spending money on holidays, but rather invested funds into their homes.
The majority of people will see very little taxable assessment change on their property this year.
Within the Town of St. Paul, the number of new tax roll numbers was only two in 2021, while it was seven in 2020. In 2018 and 2019 there were only two new tax rolls each year, but in 2017 there were 32.
Permits were down in 2021, with only 40 development permits taken out. In 2020 there were 65 development permits issued, and in 2018 and 2019 there were 60 each year. In 2017, there were 31 development permits taken out, according to information presented to council.
Speaking about vacant land prices, a 10 per cent decrease in residential land assessment was noted, except in the Spring Creek area. But, the overall improved residential assessments have decreased by just one to two per cent in most areas.
He noted that the Spring Creek area has always been an area of confidence within the Town of St. Paul, and values don't seem to change much in the area, which is located on the southwest side of town.
Commercial land is also down about 10 per cent, while industrial land saw very little change in assessed value.
In St. Paul, new construction was net zero in 2021. While there was a bit of construction taking place, it was offset by demolitions that also occurred. Usually, there is more activity taking place, said Daudelin.
Most residential properties are re-inspected on a four-year rotation. The Town is split into quadrants, and in 2022, the northwest area of St. Paul is set for re-inspection. Commercial properties are reinspected annually because, "commercial properties will change more often."
During a brief question period, Coun. Nathan Taylor asked for clarification regarding exempt assessments, noting that he was more interested in how much the Town can tax, rather than the grand total, which took into account the exempt properties.
Daudelin noted that exempt properties include provincial and federal buildings, and the increase noted was likely due to work such as any school renovations that took place, or similar projects.
