WEYBURN – A list of 73 properties with unpaid city taxes for 2023 came up at Weyburn city council, worth almost a quarter-million dollars, as the city begins the tax enforcement process.
The owners of these properties will have 60 days to pay the arrears and applicable fees, after which a lien will be registered on the property titles.
The arrears, which are over half of the preceding year’s levy, total $241,680, which is less than a year ago, said finance director Laura Missal.
Coun. Mel Van Betuw said he wanted citizens to be aware the city is simply following the legislation of the Tax Enforcement Act.
Mayor Marcel Roy pointed out that the tax bills that are in arrears includes the provincial portion of the education tax, which is about half of the tax bill on a given property.
“We as a City are on the hook to pay that tax to the province, whether we collect it or not,” said Mayor Roy, noting the province would simply say “too bad” if the City tells them they are unpaid taxes.
“It’s a stain all the way through, so there’s a reason why we have to enforce it,” he added.
Missal said the City urges every property owner on the list to come in and pay up their tax bill before it gets further into the enforcement process.
• In other council business, Mayor Roy said the City has been getting complaints about potholes, particularly on Government Road and First Avenue.
“It’s difficult with the freezing and thawing and the moisture,” he said, pointing out these two roads are interconnected highways so they have a higher load of truck traffic.
“We do have crews doing their best to plug the holes,” said Jennifer Wilkinson, city engineer.
She noted the mayor is correct in that these roads are highway connectors, as Highways 13 and 35, so the City has to rely on provincial funding in order to properly fix them.
“Unfortunately the patching is temporary,” she added.
“It’s just two more months (of winter), so bear with what we can do,” said Mayor Roy.
• A request for rezoning a group of residential properties across the road from St. Michael School, Cottonwood Project Residential Development, was submitted by Kenjo Holdings.
Currently 18 lots are vacant, next to the Midtown care home, and are zoned R3, or residential multiple housing, to R1, residential detached.
The rezoning has been requested to enable the development of single family dwellings on the lots.
• City council gave first reading to the amending bylaw, and notice will go out to adjacent properties for comments or concerns, and a public hearing will be held at the council meeting on March 11. • In the January report of building permits and demolition permits, the City issued four building permits with a total construction value of $2,387,500.
The permits include a cafe renovation, a front deck and a detached garage, and the biggest value is for the foundation for a care home addition on Park Avenue. This has a construction value of $2.23 million.
This total compares to a year ago when the City issued three building permits worth a total of $120,000.
• Council approved an application for a new home-based business from Diane Alipio, to operate a person service for eyelash and eyebrow esthetics at her home on Fourth Street.
Notices were given to neighbouring properties, and no concerns or objections were received.
The approval was given with several conditions.
