Prince Albert councillors want more than a tax report when it comes to derelict properties.
Executive Committee voted Monday to send the issue back to administration with instructions to look at a broader set of tools aimed at reducing the number of boarded-up, vacant, derelict and nuisance properties in the city.
The discussion grew out of a report on creating a new tax subclass for derelict properties. The report had recommended that council receive and file the information, but several councillors said that was not what they had asked for.
Coun. Darren Solomon said he could not support simply receiving and filing the report, saying that would only push the issue further down the road. He said council needs more options to deal with problem properties in neighbourhoods across the city.
Coun. Blake Edwards, who brought the original motion forward in May, said the purpose was never to raise taxes simply to bring more money into City coffers.
“It was more about incentivizing these properties to get to work and get busy on demolishing these properties or dealing with them,” Edwards said Monday.
He pointed to boarded-up homes, fire-damaged buildings and properties that remain neglected for long periods.
The motion passed Monday asks administration to return with a definition for derelict and nuisance properties, information on how the City currently deals with them, and reasons why some owners do not comply.
Administration will also examine mill-rate subclasses that could increase the rate on qualifying properties by as much as five times, along with mandatory security for properties experiencing trespassing or other unwanted activity.
City Solicitor Mitchel Holash cautioned that property owners would still have appeal rights. He said a derelict designation could also become part of an owner’s argument that a property’s assessment is too high, depending on the circumstances.
The work will also look at a permit system for boarded-up properties, establishing a baseline number of derelict, boarded-up and vacant properties, and setting measureblae targets to reduce that number.
Coun. Dawn Kilmer said the goal should remain simple.
“What is a combination of tools that will measurably reduce the Prince Albert inventory of boarded up, abandoned, and derelict properties,” she said.
The issue has been building at council for months.
When Edwards first proposed the tax-subclass review on May 11, he said boarded-up properties were holding back neighbourhoods and pointed to garbage, discarded appliances, broken-down vehicles and fire hazards. He also raised concerns about properties sitting for years while neighbouring residents wait for action.
Fire officials have since added another concern.
During a July Executive Committee meeting, Deputy Fire Chief Alex Paul said an increase in structure fires was, anecdotally, tied in large part to vacant and abandoned properties. He said boarded buildings that are no longer considered in use do not receive the same inspections.
Carlton Park B-Block offers one local example. The apartment building was emptied following an electrical fire in 2025. While vacant, it caught fire again on Aug. 1, 2025, causing significant damage to the upper portion of the building. The block remains vacant.
Several councillors pointed Monday to Edmonton, where they had seen the city’s approach to problem properties during a Federation of Canadian Municipalities visit.
Coun. Daniel Brown said Prince Albert should not “reinvent the wheel” if another city already has a system that works. Chief Financial Officer George Marshall told council that administration would be contacting Edmonton.
Edwards had hoped to see the work completed before budget discussions, but City Manager Craig Guidinger said an October deadline would be aggressive. He said administration would begin work immediately and provide council with an update if more time is needed.
The motion also asks administration to examine options for keeping revenues and expenses connected to the program separate or revenue neutral.
For councillors, however, the measure of success will not be how much money the City collects.
“That’s what we’re looking for,” Edwards said. “Reduction of derelict properties.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
