Rosetown may hire professionals to hear property assessment appeals

By Ian MacKay

People who appeal the assessment of their Rosetown properties for property-tax purposes may face professionals this year.

One person has formally resigned from the Zoning Appeals and Board of Revision and another has given a verbal resignation, Amanda Bors, the town’s interim chief administrator, said during the Feb. 17 council meeting.

People have to take a certain amount of training to serve on it, Bors said, uncertain that anyone would volunteer to replace those who’ve left in time to qualify to hear appeals this spring.

Companies provide the service “and I think that it would probably be easier to go with a company,” she said.

Other companies, “that are basically lawyers now, will appeal on behalf of large corporations,” she said.

“When you sit at the table and have three members of your community that aren’t lawyers, it’s very discouraging, and it’s very hard for them to make a decision when they’re not (lawyers),” she explained.

“I believe they’re getting overwhelmed with the legalities,” Mayor Trevor Hay said.

Members of the current board would prefer that the agency above them, the Saskatchewan Municipal Board, make difficult decisions but the board “says, ‘you must,’ ” Bors said.

The course involves completing 14 modules “and we did it over, I think, three weeks,” she recalled.

She plans to bring quotes from companies to the next council meeting while advertising for people to complete the board.

Bors also said she’d check with surrounding rural municipalities who’ve been using the same board and who might also have to seek contracted help.