My old friend, former Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs, Doug Griffiths, wrote a book called 13 Ways to Kill Your Community. On Amazon, he writes, “Here is a handy manual, chock-full of proven ideas, for the up-and-coming town wrecker.”
Even though New Brunswick politicians will hate it, this is a book I simply HAD to write.
I find it absolutely astounding as to how little attention any of the parties has paid to our very broken property assessment and taxation system during New Brunswick’s 2024 election campaign.
What exactly is revenue neutrality and how does it apply to the property assessment and taxation system in New Brunswick? Answer: it doesn’t. And it’s costing us all a lot of money.
Whether we average residential property owners realize it or not, that restrictive relationship between residential and non-residential tax rates in NB is costing us money.
It’s taken them over a week, but there’s finally been some talk about our very broken property assessment and tax system in the 2024 New Brunswick election campaign.
For us here in New Brunswick, decision day, Election 2024, is October 21. Oh, and there are municipal elections coming up here as well in May 2025. Plenty of chances to exercise our democratic muscles.
A piece done by Global News on March 21 of this year, entitled, “Some N.B. municipalities angered by extra property tax pamphlet, Union says” cries out for a response.
If the property owner still does not agree with the decision, he/she has the right to appeal to the Assessment and Planning Appeal Board.
At first glance, tax agents look to be playing a critical role in challenging property assessments, thereby keeping taxes in check.
