Property owners in Turner Valley have the option to delay paying their property taxes and town utility bills as the COVID-19 brings more uncertainties.
Turner Valley town council adopted a property tax and utility deferral program during a special meeting on March 27 that allows home and business owners to defer paying their taxes for up to 90 days and their water, sewer and garbage bills for up to 120 days (equating to two bi-monthly billing cycles). Residents can register for the program to take affect anytime between May 1 and Aug. 31.
“Not everybody will need it right away so people may need that flexibility at different times,” Turner Valley CAO Todd Sharpe said of the reasoning behind running the program over several months. “It is difficult to determine the level of financial support that is needed, although we understand that it exists and the town needs to support those that are experiencing the financial impact of the COVID-19 virus.”
Sharpe said the Aug. 31 deadline allows administration and council time to adjust financially and have adequate information as they enter into 2021 budget deliberations this fall.
“Based on the analysis and review of the Town’s cash flow requirements and our investments, we have the capacity to offer a short-term deferral of taxes and utilities to those residents and businesses that are financially vulnerable,” he said. “It’s important to remember that this is a deferral program, not a waver program. Those amounts are still going to be owed, we’re just pushing it off and giving people a little bit of breathing room.”
Sharpe said participants will have six months to pay the amount owing following the end date of their utility deferral period and 12 months from the end date of their tax deferral period.
The Town will set up an online registration to give people time to register before the program comes into effect May 1, said Sharpe.
“We know that the economic effects of COVID-19 and low oil prices have been vast, but it’s really hard to know the impact, especially so early into this,” he said. “There is no doubt that people will have to take advantage.”
Sharpe said some residents have been laid off, others are at home caring for children who would have otherwise been in school and others’ retirement income was hit hard from the declining stock market.
Turner Valley Mayor Barry Crane said in addition to the Town’s deferral program, the Town will no longer charge homeowners the $6 per month recycling fee from the time the facility closed on March 26 until it reopens.
Crane said these cost-saving measures reflect administration and council’s initiatives to get ahead of the curve and anticipate the future needs of the community in light of COVID-19.
“For people who are going to require the assistance, who are going to have difficulty, this is one of the first steps of what we hope will be several that we can make,” he said. “It’s forward thinking in anticipation of tougher times. It will make a difference for the people that need it. That’s what it’s all about.”
Council also approved a motion at Friday’s meeting to bring the 2020 capital budget back to the table on April 6, when council meets next, to review and prioritize projects with a finer toothed comb and determine what’s going to be essential and what could be removed.
Council passed another motion to discuss, in April, special events in the town and whether or not to open the Dr. Lander Outdoor Memorial Swimming Pool for the summer.
“We’re going to get our best guess early because we don’t want to waste any staff time on things that may not happen,” Crane said. “We need to look at the reality of Discovery Days and the Black Diamond Parade, which happen on the same day, with our partner municipality and see what’s realistic.”
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