ATHABASCA — As some councillors predicted, there have been complaints and now requests for refunds on Athabasca County's new minimum tax rate.
At the July 12 regular meeting an e-mail from Allan and Evelyn Myram was presented to council members arguing the minimum taxes do not result in equity nor equality and they would like a refund.
“We were totally unprepared to see an increase of almost 800 per cent in the municipal tax portion for our quarter section of vacant pasture farmland which we … have owned for approximately 50 years,” they wrote. “We were told at the time (2011) as long as the four titles remained in our names, that its purpose was farmland and remained with no residential developments or improvements the tax rate would remain the same. It has until 2022.”
The Myram’s have 159.77 acres divided into four parcels of varying sizes and therefore tax value. All of them were previously taxed well below the minimum amount; Parcel 1 is 70.03 acres and in 2021 they paid $19.15 in taxes, Parcel 2 is 9.88 acres and cost $2.75, Parcel 3 is 10.13 acres also charged $2.75 in taxes, and Parcel 4 is 69.73 acres taxed $28.16.
“I’d like to make a motion that council deny the request to reconsider the imposition of the minimum tax imposed on tax rolls 375071000 through 375071003,” Coun. Ashtin Anderson said.
Coun. Gary Cromwell supported the refund, however, noting the couple went from paying $52.81 to $400 overnight and that a separate e-mail request came in that very morning.
“This minimum tax, like we’ve talked about time and time again, it’s been a big bone of contention,” he said. “I understand where they’re coming from.”
It was Coun. Natasha Kapitaniuk however, who noted these difficult decisions are part of the job.
“When we started this job, we knew it wouldn’t be easy and there will be some things that are more difficult than others,” said Kapitaniuk. “I know the minimum tax is new for our community, but I see it as something that in the future will become a thing of the past, we’ll forget it almost even exists and to do something for the first time is always the most difficult. We knew we were going to get complaints; we were prepared for them.”
She noted the landowners still drive on the roads and over the bridges which were discussed previously in the same meeting.
“We always said if your land wasn’t worth $100 a year in contribution back to your community then why have that land,” Kapitaniuk said. “Obviously I’m not in favour of (refunding) one or two people who have asked because what was the point of doing all that work.”
She added she would prefer helping those ratepayers recognize they are contributing to the greater good of the county.
“I think we need to remind ourselves that this is the tough part, dealing with complaints is always going to be difficult,” she said.
Coun. Tracy Holland said she would rather see an average applied to all ratepayers instead of singling out fewer than 2,500.
“I really agree with the fact that they mentioned the difference between equality and equity and how that doesn’t really apply,” said Holland. “I believe that we really need to have a look at this minimum tax. To return it now, we’re a little late in the season to be giving refunds, however I think we really need to sit down at budget season and have a really good look at this again.”
However, Athabasca County isn’t reinventing the wheel, the minimum taxes in surrounding areas see the County of Barrhead at $50; Municipal District (MD) of Opportunity at $400 for residential and non-residential; the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo has no minimum tax; the County of St. Paul and MDs of Bonnyville and Sturgeon County are at $25; County of Lac La Biche taxes $25 on farmland; Lesser Slave River, $50 on farmland only; counties of Parkland, Smoky Lake and Westlock charge $50; Lac St. Anne County is at $75; and Thorhild County is at $200.
“Since refunding for everybody is also contrary to the tax rate bylaw, to me that’s not a consideration we could even open up,” reeve Brian Hall said. “In this particular case a very reasonable solution, if they don’t feel that $400 is reasonable, is that they can consolidate those parcels back into a single one and if they don’t see value in four parcels, if they don’t see value in the taxes, then consolidate into a single parcel and pay $100 and they can have exactly what they want.”
Coun. Joe Gerlach said he still opposes the minimum tax but as it’s a bylaw he agreed to vote against issuing a refund.
“That bridge has already been burned,” he said.
Anderson said based on this request it solidified her thoughts that the minimum tax was the correct route to take.
“I look at these tax rolls and I see this person is only paying $2.75 for two separate titled parcels and I just think ‘Wow,’” Anderson said. “They are complaining about this, but they have been expecting their neighbours to subsidize them just getting a tax notice for the last how long? At $2.75 we can’t even print that piece of paper and mail it to you … let alone the administration costs and the assessment cost behind that.”
The motion to deny the refund passed 6-2 as Coun. Kelly Chamzuk was absent from the meeting.
