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PropertyvaluehikesinYellowknifecomeasshockGeneralassessmentseesvaluessoarcitysaysrateadjustmentstocome8TuesdayFebruary42013Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Berthaisasmallandfriendlycreature.Shemakesforgreatcompanyinanyhousehold.Hershort-hairedcoatiswonderfulforpetting.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThoughresidentialandcommercialpropertyown-ersopenedtheirpropertyvaluenoticeofassessmentslastweekinshockwithin-creasesaveraging40percentacrossthecitythedirectorofcorporateservicesfortheCityofYellowknifesaysnottobealarmed.Thoughpropertytaxeswilllikelygoupslightlyacrosstheboardwithaprojectedaverageincreaseofaround3percentCarlBirdsaidwhatlookslikeagianttaxincreaserightnowstillhastobeoffsetbythemillratewhichhasyettobeadjusted.Whatpeoplehavetokeepinmindisthattheassessmentisonlyoneaspectofhowwedeterminewhateachtaxpay-ersgoingtopayintaxes.Theothercomponentisthemillratewhichdeterminesforeach1000ofassessedvaluehowmanydollarsoftaxesyouregoingtopay.Sotheimpactofthegeneralassessmentonpropertyas-sessmentswillbemitigated.Whatevertheaverageim-pactofthegeneralassessmentisacrosstheboardthemillrateforthatpropertyclasswillbereducedbythesamefactorBirdsaid.Iftheincreasebasedontheassessmentis40percentthemillratewillalsobede-creasedby40percent.Sowhenyoumultiplythatnewmillratebythenewpropertyassessmentifnothingelseischangedandthatstheonlyimpactonthepropertyownersas-sessmentthentheimpactontheirtaxeswillbenilBirdsaid.Thatformulaappliesbypropertyclasswhichrangesfromcommercialindustrialtomulti-residentialapart-mentsandcondosminingandquarryingandsoon.MillrateadjustmentswilltakeplaceafterMar.3.Thecityexpectstaxestogoupapproximately3.1percentacrosstheboard.Thatdoesntmeanpeo-plestaxeswontgoupmorethanthathowever.Asidefromthegeneralassessmentpropertieswerealsoad-justedforimprovementsthroughrenovationsoverthepastsevenyearsandincreasedvaluesoftheirneighbourhoods.Ifsomeonesassessmentwentuphigherthanthegen-eralassessmentfactorthenyestherewouldbeataximplicationanditwouldbeduetosituationssuchasrenovationsthathadbeendoneoritmaybethatinthatneighbourhoodmar-ketvalueoflandwentuphigherthaninthegeneralaverageacrossthecityBirdsaid.Insomeareaslandhasgoneupfasterthaninothers.Wholeneighbourhoodin-creasesarepartlytheresultoflandbeingundervaluedforanumberofyearsduetothelackofaccuratesalesnumbersorthoseareashav-ingbeensubsidizedorigi-nallybythecityduringde-velopment.Themajorityofsubsidizationhassincebeenremoved.Soforthosepeoplewhobenefitedfromthesubsi-diesonthoseparcelsoflandyearsagothemarketvaluemayhavebeenadjustedBirdsaid.Thecityishostingtwoopenhousesduringtheeve-ningsofJune12-13tohelppeopleunderstandtheiras-sessmentsandrespondtoanyquestionsorconcerns.WhatIrecommendpeopledoistaketheirassessmentnoticelookandcompareittotheirneighbours-peoplewithsimilarsizedhousesonsimilarsizedlots-toseedoesitappearequitableBirdsaid.IfataxpayerstillisnthappywiththeassessmenttheyhavetheopportunitytoappealtheassessmentandtheyhavetodosobyMar.3.Peoplearealsoencour-agedtocallthecityassessorat867-920-5625.TheYellowknifeChamberofCommerceisalsoplan-ningontakingapollofitsmemberbusinessesinFebru-arytondoutifcommercialpropertyholdersfeeltheyarebeingnegativelyimpacted.PoliticsMunicipalByMEAGANWOHLBERGThepublichearingontheNWTdevolutionbilllastMondayhasonlysparkedmoredebateoverthecontro-versialmovetodissolvere-gionallandandwaterboardsinfavourofacentralizedsuperboard.Aboriginalgovernmentsvariousnon-governmentalor-ganizationsandGNWTrepre-sentativesaddressedthestand-ingcommitteeonAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelop-mentlastMondayinYellow-knifeduringasingledayofscheduledhearingsonthebill.DeneNationalChiefBillErasmussaidWednesdaythatthefederalandterritorialgovernmentsneedfullAb-originalconsentonthepieceofomnibuslegislationwhichbothallowsforthetransferoflandwaterandresourcestotheterritoryandpushesthroughfederallymandatedchangestotheNWTsregulatorysystem.Ifnothesaidtherewillbefurtherchallenges.TheAboriginalwitnessesfervidlytoldthecommitteethattheydonotagreewiththeproposedlegislationandthatifthebillispushedthroughCanadaandtheter-ritorialgovernmentcanex-pectmorechallengesfromthemErasmussaid.DuringthehearingsconcernswereexpressedabouttheomnibusnatureofthebillbyallAborigi-nalparticipantsincludingthosepartytothedevolu-tionagreement.TheSahtuGwichinandTlichogovernmentshaveallstatedthattheywanttomain-tainregionalrepresentationinthereviewprocess.TlichoGrandChiefEddieErasmuswhosegovernmentsupportsdevolutionbutisop-posedtotheeliminationoftheregionallandandwaterboardsestablishedthroughthelandclaimscalledthedecisiontolumpthetwopiecesoflegislationtogethercolonial.Canadahasreturnedtotheoldcolonialwaysofthink-ingtheyknowwhatisbestforushesaid.Theyaresilenc-ingourvoice.ThisisnottheconstitutionalpromisemadeintheTlichoagreement.SimilarremarksweremadebySahtuSecretariatInc.chairEthelBlondin-AndrewandDehchoGrandChiefHerbNorwegian.ConservativesvotedownmotiontosplitbillWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonmadeamotiontothecommitteeonThursdaytodivideC-15intotwobillsonedealingwithdevolutionandtheotherwithchangestotheMackenzieValleyRe-sourceManagementAct.Conservativemembersofthestandingcommitteevotedtodefeatthemotion.BevingtonhadstatedthedaypreviousintheHouseofCom-monsthatNorthernerswanttokeeptheregionallandandwaterboardsasentimentreiteratedatMondayshearings.ItwascleartomeandtheotherNDPmembersofthecommitteethatthereisstrongsupportfordevolu-tionbutagreatdealofop-positiontothechangestotheMVRMABevingtonsaid.ImovedthismotioninordertoseedevolutionmoveforwardwhilerespondingtoconcernsthatmanyNorthernersdonotwanttoseethesechangestothelandandwaterboards.HewarnedotherMPsthattheGwichinSahtuandTli-chopledgedlastweektouseeveryavenueavailabletoghttheamendmentsmean-inggreaterdelaysforfuturedevelopment.ExpectmorechallengesondevolutionbillchiefsaysAboriginalgroupsopposedtoregulatorychangesinBillC-15CityofcialswantresidentstocomparetheirassessmentstotheirneighboursusingtheonlineCityExplorefeatureontheCityofYellowknifewebsite.PoliticsRegulatory