Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Resolution (Oct 04/04) - Leonard Beaulieu receives a property tax bill from the GNWT every month, but like many others in Fort Resolution, he refuses to pay.

"How am I going to pay it?," he says. "I'm unemployed and I'm sick."

Last week, he was scheduled to go to Edmonton for prostate cancer surgery.

Beaulieu started getting the bills in the late 1980s, and watched as the arrears accumulated over the years. The bill now stands at about $12,000.

Beaulieu, 57, doesn't believe anyone in Fort Resolution should pay property taxes and wants all forgiven.

"This community is not big enough," he says. "There's nothing here. There's no money in this town."

Beaulieu works as a grader operator in the summer and as an odd-job mechanic.

Many Fort Resolution residents oppose the property tax, saying there was no consultation when it was introduced for smaller non-tax-based communities in the 1980s.

They also say there were no accurate assessments and no determination whether the taxes violate treaty rights.

"The process they have in place is all screwed up," says Chief Robert Sayine of the Deninu Ku'e First Nation.

The government also sends letters warning that property could be confiscated and sold if people don't pay the tax bills, he notes, although it has never followed through on that threat.

"Not yet, but you can't really trust them they wouldn't do that," Sayine says.

The chief suggests the government wipe the slate clean and refund the tax some people have paid.

"And let's start over again."

The government could also put a moratorium on property taxes until negotiations on Treaty 8 rights are concluded, he says.

Or, the government could wipe out the late charges and interest, and charge more reasonable amounts, says Sayine, who owes about $9,000 himself. "It's not really what we want, but it will help."

Many in arrears

Finance Minister Floyd Roland says there are only six tax-based communities in the NWT, and the 27 others are in the general taxation area along with Fort Resolution.

"The large majority of the other communities are paying their taxes," Roland says.

Fort Resolution has 92 private taxable properties (excluding businesses and government property), and 41 of them are in arrears a total $142,000.

"A majority of that is interest," Roland says.

'Not a feasible option'

The minister rejects wiping the slate clean, saying that wouldn't be fair to those paying the tax. "That's not a feasible option."

However, he says the department could do up-to-date assessments and make adjustments on over-assessed properties.

Roland says he has offered to work with the community on the taxation issue. "That offer stands."