Battle of the boards

NNSL (Dec 05/97) - The houseboater taxation saga has produced a bit of friction between two of the regulatory bodies overseeing the matter in the city.

In effect, the first regulatory rung on the property tax complaint ladder says the next rung is taking too long to do its job.

In one of three recommendations to city council, the board of revision described as "inexcusable" the amount of time it took the tribunal to make a decision on houseboater appeals of 1996 property tax assessments.

The board of revision is appointed by city council to hear appeals of tax assessments. The tribunal, a quasi-judicial body, is the next level of appeal and the last before court.

Board of revision chairman Bob Patterson, in a letter to city council, noted the board finished hearing houseboater appeals of 1997 assessments before the tribunal rendered a decision on 1996 appeals.

Patterson asked the city to "take action to encourage the tribunal to make their decisions in a more timely manner."

The tribunal recently overturned the board of revision's decision on houseboats, ruling that homes floating in Yellowknife Bay are not assessable.