Copyright (c) Queen's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | Licence Disclaimer |
B.C. Reg. 370/2003 O.C. 970/2003 |
Deposited October 24, 2003 effective January 1, 2004 |
This archived regulation consolidation is current to August 5, 2005 and includes changes enacted and in force by that date. For the most current information, click here. |
Community Charter
1 In this regulation, "assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw" means a bylaw imposing tax rates under section 198 [assessment averaging and phasing options] of the Community Charter.
2 An assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw is restricted to property classes 1, 5, 6 and 8.
3 For assessment averaging under section 198 of the Community Charter, the tax rates may be imposed on the amount determined in accordance with the following formula:
Amount = averaged land value + assessed improvements value
where
averaged land value = average of the assessed value of the land in the current year and the 2 preceding years; assessed improvements value = the assessed value of improvements in the current year.
4 For assessment phasing under section 198 of the Community Charter, the tax rates may be imposed on the amount determined in accordance with the following formula:
Amount = (assessed land value - phasing reduction) + assessed improvements value
where
assessed land value = the assessed value of the land in the current year; phasing reduction = the amount determined by multiplying
(a) the phasing percentage established by the assessment phasing bylaw, being not less than 50% and not more than 66%,
by
(b) the difference between
(i) the increase in the assessed value of the land in the current year from the previous year, and
(ii) the assessed value of the land in the previous year multiplied by the average percentage increase in the assessed value from the previous year to the current year of all land within the municipality included in the same property class;
assessed improvements value = the assessed value of improvements in the current year.
5 The authority to adopt an assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw is subject to the following requirements:
(a) before January 1 of the year in which the bylaw is to take effect, notice of intent to consider the bylaw must be provided to the inspector and to the assessment commissioner;
(b) after January 1 of the year in which the bylaw is to take effect and at least 2 weeks before the adoption of the bylaw, a notice that describes the estimated effect of the bylaw on the taxation of sample properties within the municipality must be published in accordance with section 94 [requirements for public notice] of the Community Charter;
(c) the bylaw must be adopted before March 31 in the year in which it is to take effect;
(d) the bylaw must establish a procedure to allow property owners to complain to the review panel referred to in section 9 of this regulation about errors made in applying the bylaw to their property.
6 (1) An assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw may modify the averaging formula in section 3 of this regulation or the phasing formula in section 4 of this regulation to
(a) exempt from the bylaw, or
(b) govern the application of the bylaw to,
particular types of property within a property class.
(2) The authority under subsection (1) includes authority in relation to property with an assessed value that is different from that on the previous assessment roll because of one or more of the following:
(a) an error or omission;
(b) a subdivision or consolidation or a new development to, on or in the land;
(c) a change in
(i) physical characteristics,
(ii) zoning,
(iii) the classification of the property under section 19 (14) of the Assessment Act, or
(iv) the eligibility of the property for assessment under section 19 (8), 23 or 24 of the Assessment Act.
7 (1) If a council adopts an assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw, the following rules apply:
(a) the assessed value or the net taxable value must continue to be the basis for determining the amount of money to be raised in the municipality for the purposes of the following:
(i) section 197 (1) (b) [property taxes for other bodies] of the Community Charter;
(ii) sections 119 and 137 of the School Act;
(iii) section 17 of the Assessment Authority Act;
(iv) sections 15 and 17 of the Municipal Finance Authority Act;
(v) section 14 of the British Columbia Transit Act;
(b) the value determined under the bylaw, and not the assessed value or the net taxable value referred to in this or any other Act, must be the basis for taxing properties within the property classes specified in the bylaw to raise the money required under the provisions referred to in paragraph (a).
(2) If
(a) a body other than the council sets a rate under an enactment for calculating property taxes, and
(b) the council adopts an assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw,
then, despite any other enactment, the council must, by resolution, substitute a rate that is sufficient to raise the same amount of revenue in the municipality for that body from each property class to which the assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw applies as the amount that would have been raised for that body had that bylaw not been adopted.
(3) If the amount of revenue raised in any year for a body under subsection (2) is more or less than the amount that would have been raised had the council not substituted the rate, the difference must be used to adjust the rate for the next year.
8 (1) If the assessed value of a parcel of land on the assessment roll has been adjusted under an assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw, the tax notice under section 237 [general tax notices] of the Community Charter for the parcel must include, or have enclosed with it, a statement
(a) informing the owner that assessed values and tax rates have been adjusted as a result of the bylaw,
(b) specifying the adjusted value of the land and the value of any improvements on it, and
(c) describing the procedure for requesting the collector to correct errors and for complaining about errors to the review panel referred to in section 9 of this regulation.
(2) On the initiative of the collector or on the request of an owner who is notified under subsection (1) of adjustments to the assessed value of the owner's property, the collector may correct errors made in applying the bylaw to any property.
9 (1) If a council adopts an assessment averaging or assessment phasing bylaw, it must establish a review panel in the same manner as a parcel tax roll review panel under section 204 [parcel tax roll review panel] of the Community Charter.
(2) The review panel may
(a) adjudicate complaints about errors made in applying the bylaw to the assessed value of any property, and
(b) direct the collector to make any amendments to the adjusted value of the property that are necessary to give effect to the panel's decision.
Note: this regulation repeals B.C. Regs. 85/93 and 324/92.
[Provisions of the Community Charter, S.B.C. 2003, c. 26, relevant to the enactment of this regulation: section 198]
Copyright (c) 2005: Queen's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada