The Tri-Cities Partnership, an organization consisting of the municipal governments of Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John, has come out strongly against the province’s proposed solution to a property assessment freeze — and called for a stronger dialogue between municipalities and the province.
On Tuesday, New Brunswick’s minister of local government announced the province would provide financial assistance to any municipalities that face a decrease in revenues caused by the province’s decision to freeze property tax assessments.
Serge Rousselle said his department will work with each local government on a case-by-case basis.
But the three cities say that’s just not good enough.
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“Due to the wide reach of assessment freeze impacts, the assistance offer should benefit all communities and not be delivered on a case-by-case basis,” the Tri-Cities Partnership wrote in an open letter.
Municipalities often rely on the figures from property tax assessments to calculate their own budgets as well as make long-term plans.
“All municipalities in New Brunswick will have to make difficult decisions during the 2018 budget process,” wrote the organization.
WATCH: New Brunswick homeowners still concerned despite promise of property tax assessment fix
The province’s Liberal government announced the freeze in June, hoping to contain a festering scandal involving what the premier said were thousands of errors that started in 2011.
A whistleblower alleged in March that more than 2,000 property owners were given improper and inflated tax bills – some double the amount from the previous year.
Auditor general Kim MacPherson is reviewing the system and is expected to release a report later this year.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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