Presenter Asks Council To Take Action On Assessment Issue

By Robert Thomas

“I haven’t received answers from you,” a frustrated Kristy Van Slyck told Council at their most recent meeting.

Van Slyck, a local business property owner and manager, was back speaking at Council on the issue of fairness in property assessments and what she sees as necessary changes to return the assessment system to fairness.

During her presentation Van Slyck took dead aim in a seeming Thanksgiving turkey shoot at what she saw as the problems with the City’ assessment and appeals process.

She would like to see the City terminate their contracts with the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA) as the property assessor and Western Municipal Consulting (WMC) acting as the local Board of Revision.

KRISTY VAN SLYCK FROM AN EARLIER APPEARANCE BEFORE COUNCIL - MJ INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO

Van Slyck said she would explain why SAMA should not be the City’s assessment service provider. She said she would also explain why SMC should not be contracted as the City’s Board of Revision.

Both bodies are required by the Province for a municipality to have.

Her Personal Assessment Appeals

Van Slyck told Council she would explain her own personal experience this year and how she felt the appeals process - as suggested by the provincial government- failed her and others.

“I have done the appeals system this year,” she said, adding “I want to explain to you why that is not an effective mode for what we are trying to accomplish.”

Van Slyck said that WMC had accepted her appeal as valid and was told she had 15 days to negotiate an agreement with SAMA or a hearing would be scheduled.

Communication Breakdown

Despite having had the City’s Board Of Revision accepting her appeal Van Slyck said there were problems with communicating to her when an appeal would be heard.

She said the lack of properly informing her about an appeal date had SAMA asking to dismiss the appeal hearing.

“Because they (SAMA) did not receive my 20 day submission they (WMC) should just dismiss my appeal.”

Upon learning about the hearing Van Slyck said she had contacted SAMA “and said ‘what I’m unaware of a hearing.’”

SAMA responded with a screenshot of their invite to the appeal hearing something Van Slyck said she never received.

Additionally a note on the invite to SAMA stated “we could not find this meeting in the computer it may have been moved or deleted,” she claimed.

“I did not receive the email. I did not reply and I did not say yes or no.”

The response from WMC was that since they did not receive the message back that it was not delivered due to a wrong email address that Van Slyck had “obviously received it.”

There was a disagreement whether or not an email notice was sufficient with WMC stating it was under the legislation. Something she said she disagreed with.

“I wasn’t looking for a hearing notice in June be my last hearing was in October of last year.”

An offer by Van Slyck to delay the hearing to allow more than five days to prepare the appeal submission was denied by WMC.

WMC told Van Slyck to go “straight to the SMB (Saskatchewan Municipal Board).”

The SMB is the next level of appeal after a Board Of Revision decision.

Is This Fair???

Due to the miscommunication and lack of time to prepare Van Slyck stated she had concerns about the hearing’s fairness for both sides. Something SAMA also asked for but WMC said no.

“SAMA said they also wanted to postpone it. That they weren’t going to have a fair hearing and their reasoning was I provided too much information…they didn’t have enough time to go through my submission.”

WMC said the hearing was going to proceed but also they told SAMA “we are going to take that into consideration.”

Van Slyck said she still opposed the hearing going ahead on short notice but her request to postpone was denied.

“I said I don’t know why we are doing this appeal as it’s not going to be fair. They said then appeal the decision.”

She said a successful appeal was unlikely as the Board Of Revision would not have a full submission from both parties.

“The SMB can only decide if the Board (Of Revision) made the right decision with the information in front of them,” she said.

“So what’s the point of appealing? To donate $500?”

WMC Professionalism Attacked

Van Slyck said she felt WMC had not provided a sufficient effort in contacting her about the appeal hearing and not acted professionally to her and other appellants.

“I am one of several individuals that had the exact same experience,” she claimed.

She pointed out what she saw as a potential bias in WMC as there was a connection to SAMA.

“If you look at the list of individuals on WMC I would say more than half are past assessors from SAMA.”

Van Slyck went on to quote the cost of having a local Board of Revision - as done previously - cost approximately $60,000 in 2021 and if WMC had the contract then it would have cost $125,000.

“(They) did not meet professionalism and (cost) the most money.”

Pointing out media reports about when Council had chosen to contract out the Board Of Revision that it was a move designed to limit the number of successful appeals Van Slyck ran out of time.

COUNCILLOR DAWN LUHNING - MJ INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO

Committee of the Whole chair Councillor Dawn Luhning informed Van Slyck her 10 minute maximum time allotment to address Council was up.

Delegations are usually allowed only 10 minutes to speak but can have their time extended at Council’s discretion. No Council member moved to request giving Van Slyck more time to finish her presentation.

“Every delegation has 10 minutes. If you want to wrap up your presentation that would be great,” Councillor Luhning said.

Van Slyck said it was within Council’s powers to correct the system. She asked Council not to renew SAMA’s contract.

“This would allow us to regain control and provide property assessment for the taxpayers of Moose Jaw,” she said.

Councillor Questions

Although councillors never had any questions for Van Slyck they had questions about the SAMA and WMC contracts.

Council was told the SAMA contract expires on December 31, 2023 and the contract with WMC on December 31, 2023.

Councillor Kim Robinson asked about comparing costs between SAMA or doing assessments in-house.

Brian Acker, city financial director, said Administration was already working on a report.

“We are working on a report. We are hoping to have it for Council probably early November which will be the City of Moose Jaw assessment services. So we will look at the current services we have,” Acker stated.

The report will contain the “potential to go to market for assessment services or the potential for in-house services,” he said.

Council then voted unanimously 6 - 0 to receive and file the report. Mayor Clive Tolley was absent.