Whereas local governments, particularly in rural and remote areas, are experiencing a growing number of brownfield sites well situated along their transportation of municipal services corridors which provides zero municipal property tax revenues to municipalities; And whereas when the brownfield sites require contamination remediation, BC Assessment assess the brownfield sites, usually in the business class with a one dollar value to the land, resulting in zero tax revenues to the municipality; And whereas these brownfield sites are not carrying their fair share of the tax burden for the community: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to amend the Assessment Act to provide municipalities with the authorization to assess brownfield site properties in a separate class that creates greater motivation by the owners, generally corporate, to mitigate the environmental hazards and redevelop these unsightly properties.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing The issue of contaminated sitesbrownfields is a province-wide concern, for both rural and urban communities, and one that the Province takes seriously. As pointed out in response to UBCM resolution 2017-B21, the cost of remediation is often prohibitive, and can even exceed the market value of the property. As a result, increasing the rate of taxation andor creating a new property class for these properties may have unintended consequences and challenges from the outset. As such, MAH is not at this time considering a separate property class for brownfield sites Ministry of Finance is in agreement with this position. However, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy staff have been reviewing the results of the Provinces first Brownfield Renewal Strategy 2008-2014 to develop a plan for encouraging the remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites across B.C. going forward. MAH staff will certainly collaborate where appropriate once this plan takes shape.