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calgarywinning · 01-04-2020, 08:18 PM

I hate when people tell me your property value is unimportant in the equation of your property tax or that the mill rate factors in any increase or decrease. The job of property valuation is to valuate the property under the act, which is said to use an aggregate of the properties in your nearby vicinity, like for example the street you live on. So add up all the properties and divide.

In fact, the regime of the City of Calgary was to press property values so that the mill rate and tax increase was lower overall and more palatable, through business assessment or residential.

There is a whole appeal process for your property value which has been turned into an attrition by the city, in that you will now have to spend an entire day, before your case is heard instead of scheduling a time in front of the arbitrators (among other costs). What's worse is when you beat them and get your property value held to like the other places on your street, they come back the next year and bump you right back. Creepy they are on MLS looking at photo's of your home, that just goes to show you the leadership of the assessment division.

Property assessors pre 2000's used to be agreeable reasonable people. In the last 15 years at least the mandate was to press property values higher so that the mill rate and tax increase would be lower. They used to openly admit that was the agenda.

So I do hope they have turned a corner. Assess property fairly and correctly under the Municipal Government Act, don't force people who disagree to take them to the Assessment Review Board and also, reduce the fee's to get there and make the process transparent. In fact, just use a computer.

Then have at it with your Mill rate so we can know what the actual tax increase will be.

Also, if it's so unimportant reduce each property assessment change to a 2 years at the least, 3 years next. 4 years seem to long to me.

01-04-2020, 08:18 PM	#48
calgarywinning First Line Centre Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Field near Field, AB Exp:	I hate when people tell me your property value is unimportant in the equation of your property tax or that the mill rate factors in any increase or decrease. The job of property valuation is to valuate the property under the act, which is said to use an aggregate of the properties in your nearby vicinity, like for example the street you live on. So add up all the properties and divide. In fact, the regime of the City of Calgary was to press property values so that the mill rate and tax increase was lower overall and more palatable, through business assessment or residential. There is a whole appeal process for your property value which has been turned into an attrition by the city, in that you will now have to spend an entire day, before your case is heard instead of scheduling a time in front of the arbitrators (among other costs). What's worse is when you beat them and get your property value held to like the other places on your street, they come back the next year and bump you right back. Creepy they are on MLS looking at photo's of your home, that just goes to show you the leadership of the assessment division. Property assessors pre 2000's used to be agreeable reasonable people. In the last 15 years at least the mandate was to press property values higher so that the mill rate and tax increase would be lower. They used to openly admit that was the agenda. So I do hope they have turned a corner. Assess property fairly and correctly under the Municipal Government Act, don't force people who disagree to take them to the Assessment Review Board and also, reduce the fee's to get there and make the process transparent. In fact, just use a computer. Then have at it with your Mill rate so we can know what the actual tax increase will be. Also, if it's so unimportant reduce each property assessment change to a 2 years at the least, 3 years next. 4 years seem to long to me.