By Stephanie Froese

Good year for business means tax hike OK: Chamber

Dec 23, 2010 | 12:02 PM

Property taxes are expected to go up and its more than just home owners who will be affected.

Business in Prince Albert will also end up paying more with a tax increase either because they own their property or because rent will increase to compensate the higher cost for landlords.

The tax increase could be anywhere from about six per cent to 16 per cent.

Until the budget is finalized in the new year, Joe Bexson, with the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce said it is hard to say just how it will affect business.

“There’s still time for people to get involved in this budget process and research it,” Bexson said.

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“We’ve come off a pretty successful year as far as business is concerned. Business starts are up as high as they’ve been in the city for a long time so maybe now would be the time to enact a little heftier increase.”

A few years ago there was a very little tax increase, so Bexson recognized this year is somewhat of a catch-up time.

Of course like most people the best scenario for business would be no rise at all.

“Business is not going to be comfortable with any tax increase, but I think we face the realization that it’s going to happen and so, you know, if we have to sod off in the middle of the road with a 10 per cent, nine per cent increase, that’s where it will be.”

One big concern for business that Bexson identified is the large debt load the city is carrying into the new year.

He said he wanted to encourage the City to continue looking carefully at how they will be spreading out that debt to pay it down.

sfroese@panow.com