City of Powell River’s finance committee has received concern over residential tax increases.
At the June 23 finance committee meeting, councillors voted to note and file correspondence from Lesley Thorsell, who stated she received her taxes and had to endure a $500 increase in one year.
“This is not sustainable,” stated Thorsell. “I am very lucky to own my own home but I am now on a pension. Everyone I know who lives in the municipality is outraged at the cost of their taxes.”
Thorsell asked what is going to be put in place so taxes do not increase next year. She also asked what guarantee there is that whoever owns the Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat mill will have to pay full taxes as part of that agreement.
In response to the correspondence, city councillor Cindy Elliott thanked Thorsell for the letter.
“I understand the increases in taxes to some folks have been extreme,” said Elliott. “There have been a couple of different reasons for that. One is taxes went up and the other is irregularity in how homes increase in value in some neighbourhoods over others. The tax increase in neighbourhoods that were disproportionately increased in value over other neighbourhoods was higher.
“It is my opinion that the way BC Assessment assesses homes for taxation purposes should be changed so that doesn’t happen. I was going to research that but I haven’t gotten anywhere with it yet, so I have nothing to report.”
