During its regular meeting on December 1, Canora town council approved its tax concession and discount policies for 2016.

There are no changes in the policy from the current year, said Michael Mykytyshyn, the town’s chief administrative officer.

A 100 per cent tax cancellation for the first year, a 75 per cent cancellation for the second year and a 50 per cent cancellation for the third year are available for construction of a new building or structure.

If vacant town-owned land is purchased, the value attributable to the virgin land value shall be given free of charge but the value attributable to the services to the land shall be paid, plus the same tax cancellations are available over three years.

If a new building or structure is constructed on privately owned land, the above tax concessions will apply to the building or structure provided the gross assessment is greater than $50,000.

            The same tax cancellations are available for only the addition to an existing building or structure.

For the purchase of a commercial or industrial building or structure, vacant for more than one year, and used to operate a business there from provided it is an arms-length transaction, the following tax concessions are available: 50 per cent for the first and second year and 25 per cent for the third year.

The above cancellations will apply only to the municipal portion of the tax bill.

Additional details

            Concessions will be prorated from the effective date as determined by the chief administrative officer.

No tax concessions will be granted where an existing business, building or structure is moved from one location to another within the town unless the total business area, building size or structure size increases.

Frontage tax is not eligible for any concession whatsoever.

Each tax concession granted will be in the form of a resolution or bylaw of council.

Tax concessions will not be granted on properties in arrears of taxes.

Tax concessions will be cancelled and/or reversed if taxes are in arrears.

Council may consider other concession options for special circumstances.

Concession applications must be received within one year from the date of title transfer.

Tax discount policy

Council approved the following tax prepayment discount rates for 2016: January, four per cent; February, three per cent; March, two per cent; and April, one per cent.

The property tax penalty rates for current year taxes in 2016 was set at one per cent for each, November and December.

Meeting dates

Council approved the changing of the February meeting dates.

The February 2 meeting was rescheduled to February 9 and the February 16 meeting was cancelled.

It has been necessary to change the February meeting schedule virtually every year for the past several years because the first meeting in February has been coinciding with the Saskatchewan Urban Municipality (SUMA) convention, said Mykytyshyn.

Sign corridor

Council extended the sign corridor agreement with SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church for an additional year at a rate of $20 per sign, in accordance with Section 12 of Bylaw No. 04-41.

Tax title tender

Council accepted Gail O’Dell’s offer to purchase 636 Mary Street for $54,287.75.