Coaldale passes Assessment Review Board Bylaw

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

Coaldale now has a bylaw for the creation of their own Assessment Review Board.

During their regular Oct. 7 meeting, Coaldale town council reviewed a proposed bylaw for an assessment review board.

Assessment Review Board Bylaw 901-AP-10-24 would allow the town to create a Review Assessment Board. The Oldman River Regional Services Commission had been providing this service for the town, CFO Kyle Beauchamp said, but after this year, the town is no longer able to use those services, and the town needs to create its own board. The ARB will be responsible for hearing assessment review complaints for the Town of Coaldale.

According to Part 11 of the Municipal Government Act, “A council must by bylaw establish (a) a local assessment review board to hear complaints referred to in section 460.1(1), and (b) a composite assessment review board to hear complaints referred to in section 460.1(2).” The section also outlines the various duties and requirements of the board.

Coaldale needs to establish two ARB sub-boards: the first is a local assessment review board (residential), and the second is a composite assessment review board (non-residential). The town is currently seeking members for those public board positions to serve three-year terms.

Coun. Bill Chapman asked how the three-year term would work for councillor positions on those ARB boards. Beauchamp said that the training required for this lasts for three years, but there isn’t a limit for people who can serve on the boards, nor do they have to serve the full three years, noting “there is flexibility to add and change members”.

Coun. Jason Beekman noted section 3.2 in the bylaw read “Council shall, at its first organizational meeting each year, appoint by resolution, members of the Assessment Review Boards, and the Chair of the Assessment Review Boards”, and asked was it necessary as for all the boards he sat on, they appointed the chair. Beauchamp said it was something he would have to get back to council on.

“It’s somewhat standard, from what I’ve seen, to have council appoint the chair, in comparable bylaws I’ve reviewed. That doesn’t mean though that you can’t do what you’re suggesting,” said Beauchamp, adding he could come back with more information, where saying he didn’t want to make a recommendation that “contradicts the MGA”.

Council unanimously passed all three readings of Assessment Review Board Bylaw 901-AP-10-24.