A 187 per cent assessment increase at Minto Rec Bowl has prompted a Prince Albert councillor to call for a review of possible relief measures as property assessment concerns continue to surface at city council.
Coun. Tony Head gave notice of motion Monday asking administration to prepare a report on options for temporary assessment impact mitigation or a phased relief policy for properties facing extraordinary classification-driven assessment increases.
Head said Minto Rec Bowl’s assessment increased 187 per cent from last year to this year.
“We see a property similar to, I want to say, the Performing Arts Warehouse, who received a large increase, and it came out of shock to this business,” Head told council.
Head said he wants administration to determine whether the City’s assessment is correct and what relief measures, if any, could be available.
The Minto concern follows other significant property assessment and tax issues that have reached council.
Last year, Gateway Mall’s property taxes increased from $521,118 in 2024 to $931,789 in 2025 after its assessed value rose by more than $16 million. The mall’s owners appealed the assessment and council later approved a penalty-exempt period while the appeal proceeded.
Property assessment has remained before council this year.
In July, council approved a motion from Coun. Stephen Ring asking administration to review the cost of Prince Albert’s in-house Assessment Department and compare it with having the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency, or SAMA, generate the city’s assessment roll. The report is also expected to examine possible hybrid options.
The debate around Ring’s motion expanded beyond costs, with councillors discussing assessment accuracy, fairness, transparency and public confidence in the system.
Prince Albert currently operates its own Assessment Division, although it is required to follow provincial assessment legislation and SAMA’s mass appraisal principles and guidelines.
Assessment and property taxes are related, but they are not the same thing. Assessment determines the value assigned to a property for taxation purposes and helps determine how the tax burden is distributed. A 187 per cent assessment increase does not necessarily mean Minto Rec Bowl’s final property tax bill increased by 187 per cent.
Council also dealt with a separate assessment-related issue Monday, approving $14,162.13 in municipal property tax abatements for 12 care homes.
Chief Financial Officer George Marshall said those properties had been uniquely affected by a 2017 reclassification to commercial assessment and continue to be affected today.
Head’s proposal would look beyond a single property and ask whether the City should have options available when properties experience extraordinary classification-driven assessment increases.
“If we can look into that and find out, you know, if we got it right, the city got the assessment right, and/or if there are any kind of relief measures that we can put in place,” Head said.
The notice of motion does not change Minto Rec Bowl’s assessment or provide tax relief. Head’s motion will have to return to council for consideration.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
