Ag assessments set to double

Area farmers are in for a shock as property values are set to skyrocket next year.

At a Rural Municipality of Orkney ratepayers meeting April 13, Irwin Blank, CEO of the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA), told the audience assessments of agricultural land would double for 2017.

Arable land is increasing by a factor of 2.19, while non-arable is rising by 2.08.

This, Blank said, is an adjustment that catches ag land up with other land categories in Saskatchewan that have previously increased precipitously.

The CEO was careful to make sure residents of the R.M. understood, however, that assessment changes do not necessarily lead to increased taxes. The administration of rural municipalities around the province, including Orkney, will be faced with adjusting mill rates accordingly.

Clint Mauthe later told the almost standing room only crowd that council has made its intention clear it is opposed to raising taxes. There is, however, an election this year.

Blank also revealed his agencies timeline for implementing the new assessment. The Saskatchewan government received the preliminary numbers on April 8. Municipalities will get them by June and they will also be published on the SAMA website so individual landowners can check their individual assessments.

Blank urged the R.M. and individuals to carefully check the values and provide feedback to the local office as soon as possible saying it’s much easier to make corrections during the advance phase than afterward.

Other categories of land will also see hikes, from a low of a seven per cent for pipelines through 15 per cent for residential and seasonal land to a high of 43 per cent for commercial property.

Attendees at the meeting received the information politely.