Melfort to return $51,000 in taxes after assessment appeal

The City of Melfort will have to give back almost $51,000 in taxes to a property owner for 2017 due to a successful appeal on their property assessment.

The province’s Board of Revision made the decision. Since the decision could have an effect on how the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency assesses commercial properties in the future, it’s reviewing whether to appeal the decision.

City staff did not reveal which property was affected.

Rick Lang, Melfort’s mayor, said after the Jan. 15 council meeting the decision will affect its upcoming budget.

“Granted, it’s last year’s taxation, but it would also play into this year’s taxation picture because those taxes would have been based on that same process, so we’ll have to look at that, maybe review that process and see how it will impact our 2018 tax levy.”

The mayor said the city will have to examine what other properties could be affected by the decision so that there aren’t any further surprises.

$15.3 million in permits

Melfort issued just under $15.3 million in building permits in 2017.

Lang said that number was the second-largest amount the city has ever had.

Of that $15.3 million, $4 million went into new commercial projects, $2 million went into commercial renovations, $1.8 went into industrial renovations, $3.5 million went into new residential starts and $2.4 million went into residential renovations.

The mayor noted the 19 new homes built in 2017 in particular.

“That’s good because it shows that those dwellings are still being filled as quickly as they are built and that shows Melfort is growing,” he said. “That’s great to see, actually.”

Children playing on cenotaph

The cenotaph is not a jungle gym.

At a meeting of the city’s Beautification Committee, the civic body discussed how parents were letting their children climb all over the war monument during events at Memorial Gardens.

“There was some discussion about maybe placing a sign just gently telling people that’s not appropriate,” said Coun. April Phillips. “It’s really unfortunate because we really don’t want signs all over the place but I think there has to be some education.”