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TuesdayOctober21201413SMALLBUSINESSWEEK2014October20-2510am-12pmdailyThebachaBusinessDevelopmentServicesLimitedspaceavailable.Call872-2795toregisteroremailtbds_managernorthwestel.netCelebrateSmallBusinessWeek-October19-252014FormerlySimplyAccountingTheBusinessDevelopmentandInvestmentCorporationandCanadaBusinessNWTwishentrepreneursandsmallbusinessownersahappySmallBusinessWeek.YellowknifecouncillorsayshighbusinesstaxesunfairUnlessImmistakenithashappenedwithoutcouncilsknowledgeBellByDALICARMICHAELAccordingtoresearchbyonesavvycitycouncillorbusinessesinYellowknifehavepotentiallyunknowinglybeencarryinganunfairshareofthetaxload.AdrianBellacouncillorsince2012saidherstnoticedtheissueduringmeetingsre-gardinghightaxincreasesintheKamLakeindustrialarea.AdministrationalludedtothefactthattaxrevenuesfromeachpropertyclasswerepeggedandIthinkthewayitwasdescribedwasthatapproximately42percentofrevenueshadtobecollectedfromthecommercialsectorandsay40percentfromtheresidentialsectorBellsaidinaninterviewwithTheJournal.Thattomeimmediatelyraisedaredag.BellpostedanoteonhisFacebookpageonOct.7sharinghisconcernswhichcamefromlookingatavailablehistoricaldata.Intheyear2000Yellowknifescommercialsectoraccountedfor45percentofourtotalas-sessmenttotalvalueoflandandtotalreplace-mentcostofbuildingsinourcityhewrote.In2014itaccountsforonly37percent.Thecommer-cialsectoriseithershrinkingoritsslowgrowthisnotkeepingpacewiththeresidentialsector.Thatmeansthatovertimebusinessesinthecityhavebeenshoulderingmoreofataxburdeneventhoughtheirgrowthhasnotcontinuedatthesamerateasresidences.SomeofthatcouldbeduetoeconomicstagnationsomeofitcouldbeduetojustthechangingmarketplaceormaybewewereoversaturatedwithbusinessbeforeBellsaid.TherecouldbealotofexplanationsforitsoitsnotnecessarilyacanaryinacoalminebutitwarrantsinvestigationanditsnotsomethingthatIveeverheardtheChamberofCommerceorthecityoranyonecommenton.AccordingtodataonpastmillratesBellsaidbusinessownerswerepaying1.76timeswhatresidencespaidin2000.Nowthatsaphilosophicaldecisionbythecouncilofthedaytheysaidlookbusi-nessesareearningprofitstheyregener-atingrevenuewewantthemtohavethisburdenofthehighertaxesratherthanresidencesBellsaid.Butifyoulookatthe2014rateitlookstomelikethebusi-nessesarepaying2.13timestheresidentialrate.ThereasonthatsproblematicisthatasacouncilIdontbelieveanyoneeversatdownandsaidlookweneedtostartchargingbusinessesmoreresidentscantaffordthistaxincrease.BellbroughthisconcernstomembersoftheChamberofCommercelastweekwhoconrmedthetrendBellhaddiscoveredthoughtheirdocumentationonlywentbackasfaras2002.TheydidndonedeviationfromBellstheoryhowever.WhereIthoughtthenumberswouldshowaslowconsistentriseofcommercialtaxesrelativetoresidentialoverthelast14years...ourgeneralassessmentsin2006and2013ledtobumpsincommercialtaxratesthefollowingyearBellwroteinablogpostedonOct.17.ThebigissuehereisthatcouncilhasneverhadadiscussionaboutshiftingthetaxburdenontobusinessownersorontoresidentialpropertyownersoranyoneelseforthatmatterBellwrote.Thatsnottosaywecouldnthavesuchataxa-tionphilosophyconversation-wecouldhaveitatanytime.Butwehavent.Itsverytroublingthentoseethatthisshift-ingofthetaxburdenhasoccurredwithoutcouncilsinput.YellowknifeMayorMarkHeycksaidhewasmadeawareofthecomplexsituationandthatstaffarecurrentlycompletinganinvestigationintothematterbyresearchinghistoricaldocuments.Thebigissuehereisthatcouncilhasneverhadadiscussionaboutshiftingthetaxburdenontobusinessownersorontoresidentialpropertyownersoranyoneelseforthatmatter.AdrianBellYellowknifeCityCouncillorPhotocourtesyofAdrianBell