TAMRMS#: B06
8.2
REQUEST FOR DECISION
title
Public Tax Sale
Presented by: Stephen Bannerman, City Assessor/Senior Manager, Finance and Strategic Services
label
RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
recommendation
1. That the City Assessor be delegated the responsibility under section 419(a) of the Municipal Government Act to set a reserve bid for each parcel of land on the tax arrears list that is to be offered for sale at the October 23, 2025 public tax sale, with the condition that the City Assessor set the reserve bid as close as reasonably possible to the market value of each property.
2. That the Terms and Conditions of Sale, provided as an Attachment to the September 16th, 2025 agenda report entitled "2025 Public Tax Sale", be approved.
body
SUMMARY
This report provides Council with an overview of the tax recovery process and the steps leading up to a possible tax sale on October 23, 2025, and also recommends that Council take certain mandatory steps in preparation for the tax sale.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
The recommendations in the report arise from mandatory provisions in Section 419 of the Municipal Government Act.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Municipalities are required to follow a statutory process, set out in Part 10, Divisions 8, 8.1 and 9 of the Municipal Government Act ("MGA") to recover property taxes that remain unpaid after December 31 of the year in which the taxes are imposed ("tax arrears"). The tax recovery process is described in more detail in Attachment 1, and is summarized as follows:
* A property for which taxes are in arrears for more than one year is placed on a "tax arrears list" which leads to a tax recovery notification being placed on the Certificate of Title to the property.
* If the taxes remain in arrears until March 31 of the following year, the municipality must put the property up for sale by public auction.
* If the property is sold at the public auction the municipality receives as muc...
Click here for full text