Moose Jaw residents will soon receive the latest assessment on the value of their property as the city, and the province, undergoes a revaluation year in 2025.
Under provincial legislation, all properties in Saskatchewan must be revalued every four years to ensure property values reflect the most up-to-date market prices for tax purposes.
The assessments for the city are subcontracted to the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA), which came under fire from residents after the last revaluation in 2021 over its processes and the accuracy of the assessments.
City manager Maryse Carmichael said very little information has been provided to the city regarding when it will receive the final assessment report from SAMA.
“We do not have the full information yet, so the way it normally occurs is that we will likely receive it at the end of February or mid-March,” explained Carmichael.
“We will receive the in-depth analysis from SAMA on the reassessment, and our own team will review it, provide a report to council, and it will be council’s decision on the tax policy around the revaluation.”
According to the province, the base date for assessment values is Jan. 1, 2023.
Once city council makes its decision on the tax policy, assessment notices will be sent to residents.
“It is not automatic that it’s an increase. Some people may see a decrease in a revaluation year, but there will be notices sent out from the end of March to early April. That is when residents will likely see their new notices,” said Carmichael.
Residents can appeal the assessment if there are errors in one or more of the following areas:
- Assessment valuation (land and/or building)
- Assessment classification (land and/or building)
- Content or preparation of the assessment roll
- Content or preparation of the assessment notice
- If there is an error on the notice of ownership, property address, or legal land description, a copy of the current Certificate of Title must be included with the Notice of Appeal.
- If there has been any change to school support, requests must be submitted to City Hall prior to the appeal deadline.
The first step is to contact SAMA at 306-694-4425. If you still believe there is an error after speaking with SAMA, you can file a Notice of Appeal with the Board of Revision secretary.
After filing your Notice of Appeal, the secretary will notify you in writing with the date and time for your hearing, when you can submit your case on the assessment error.
Following the hearing, the Board of Revision will notify you by registered mail with its decision. Both residents and the assessor can appeal the board’s decision to the Saskatchewan Municipal Board. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the Board of Revision’s decision.
You can learn more about the assessment process and appeals process on the City’s website.