Assessment Taxation of Contaminated Land

WHEREAS when determining the actual value of property for taxation, Section 193h of the Assessment Act states that the assessor may give consideration to any other circumstances affecting the value of the land and improvements, which includes the physical condition of property and the extent to which it is contaminated; AND WHEREAS by causing or allowing the contamination of their own property, some industrial taxpayers obtain a substantial reduction in their tax burden while creating inequality among industrial taxpayers and reducing the overall level of taxation available to municipal governments: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM petition the Province of British Columbia to adopt appropriate legislation to require the assessor, when determining the actual value of property for an assessment roll, to disregard evidence of existing contamination caused or contributed to by industrial processes carried out by the owner on the property or on an adjacent or associated industrial property of the owner.