Committee Votes In Favour Of Unspecified Percentage Final Commercial Property Tax Increase

Executive Committee voted unanimously in favour of shifting losses from successful commercial/industrial property tax appeals to all commercial properties but the question remains how much of a tax increase will commercial property owners now pay?

Since the exact percentage commercial property tax increase was not included in the report to Executive Committee MJ Independent asked about it at the post Council media question period.

“I don’t know what that number is,” Mayor Clive Tolley responded when it was pointed out the percentage tax increase for commercial\industrial properties was not in the report from Administration.

“It changes slightly from what we initially proposed (when finalizing the budget) but we can ask Mr (Brian) Acker (City of Moose Jaw financial director) to give you that,” City Manager Jim Puffalt said.

Asked further by MJ Independent if he, and Council, had voted on something they did not know the exact percentage property increase was Mayor Tolley replied “You will have to ask Mr (Brian) Acker (City of Moose Jaw financial director) about that.

In a report from Administration the Committee was told in 2021 “…Commercial appeal losses of approximately $24.75 million which is 3.15 % of the total Commercial and Industrial subclass assessment. Since these losses are ongoing, unless in the future there is a successful SMB appeal, it is necessary to make up for this lost revenue annually.”

In the last five years there has been 434 commercial tax appeals.

The City agreed to make adjustments on 87 appeals.

There were 64 appeals withdrawn with the Board of Revision dismissing 156 appeals. A total of 156 successful appeals were sent to the Saskatchewan Municipal Board for further appeal.

Come back later for more stories on property taxes