Ala 2- The Tins Sed Weare, Agus! 4, 2004 - Tax write-off | unique to. the northwest By JEFF NAGEL ONLY i in: in the northwest has‘-the province allowed towns to wipe. cut large amounts. of unpaid ‘property tax. _ Murray Coell, minister of community, aboriginal: and” | ; women’ s services, says. his staff have been unable. 10 find a. ‘precedent, ‘ ‘in recent : smemory”” for the: lax wrile-_ offs: northwest towns. aye agreed to grant: New . Skeenal Forest Produits, |. : : “We. haven't had any: other ro request for many years, 1 ° ever,” ’ Coell ‘said last week, normal law: that bars: B. C. towns from: forgiving. taxes, “It’s the second time the: province’ s B.C. ‘Liberal gov ernment: has authorized: erasing ‘the ‘operations’ “property: taxes. The fitst. was two years ‘ago when the. provincial government. sold- the. operations to:present owners George Petty and Dan Veriiez, At that time’ unpaid: property. tax- es -were converted .into“a nine-year; repayment. ‘plan, which remains, unpaid, in ‘addition to newer taxes.” ° _Coell defended’ the cabinet: approval: and the towns’ decision: “When L:look ‘at it'T say to myself.if Skeena goes down and-doesn't.creaté jobs, they're not. éver' go- ing to-see’ their taxe: up there need to be.corimended"-° = 0. -Coell confirmed the: province: intends to wipe oui: he . school taxes, “which the towns. “would: ‘otherwise be. re~ “quired to pay’ Victotia even: if they’ didn’t ‘collect the. ~ money. ‘It means. Victoria: leaves around $6: million of its ‘own on the’ table, which - provided wriggle: room that _ helped the towns cut:a. deal with. New: Skéena. -- - “We don’t want to-see the- minicipalities- ‘who have put ‘this deal. together harmed in-any. way by, provincial school tax collection; Coell said: |: - Approval to eliminate: the school. taxes. will: come. from the. treasury. ‘Board-and: cabinet. Undecided. still is whether the’ education. aninistry ill: havet $6 million deficit or to ‘have it: made up. sewhere. * Coell denied: that erasing ‘the school’ and: ‘municipal taxes — two-thirds: of. the’ $30. million in. New. m: Skecnm back taxes — amounts to‘a-businéss: subsidy. - “It's.a proposal: that the. ‘municipalities came - ‘to: US, . - with saying we. think . we: can help | our: cornmiunities if, os ee _you help-us by: giving us the authority, to negotiate, : some: aan ee ‘return ‘on their taxes. rather. than. nothing;”: Coell-said:. “The. size ‘of the’ Skeena operations. and ‘the effect « on 1 : the local economie make. a really” good ¢ case efor. doi what they’ re doing,”. Coell-said.:: Had the. province. ~ or. the: ‘towns’ - insisted that ‘all ye _taxes be: paid, headded, ar s entirely possible they all. would have’ got tho ‘ing: New Skeena needs money to-go. logging _ THE NEXT. MAJOR ‘ ‘step, requi ed -for New. Skeena’s op- . “erations ta sputter. ‘back to life'is'a further, ‘cash ‘infusion from its new investor. to finance logging. : os “Clearly they’re going to. need more ‘money,’ 8 court-appointed monitor David‘ Bowra;. adding: that ‘c come at-a court appearance next: Monday. :- no He hopes investment’ partie 1 Woodbridge Co: Ltd. e : will appear there to. inject-more money: allowing road=" building and: ‘logging to’ start’a éatly: as Aug, 10. As of last week. there. was :no. definitive agreement — concluded. -between_ New Skeena. and Woodbridge; . ‘Bo- wra said. Also i in. the works’ is'a draft: plan of | arrangement ~ the proposal ‘to. ‘creditors to. discharge. the old debts. Once: in. place’ the unsecured cteditors, owed between $4 ‘and $5. million,” will vote’ on it. Approval from the’ towns on’ the repayment of Property, taxes is expected. T since there’s: already’ a- deal. in-place; And Bowra expects ,smooth: sailing - with: the other TL creditors aswell. “I. think: alk: ‘the: ‘key: stakeholders will “be on ‘side: before the. vote,” he: added, : : He praised the agreemenit between: New ‘Skeana and : - the towns to dispensé with the’ property taxes...” : ~-“T think at the end. of the day the: ‘municipalities did'a a very” food jab‘in a very’ difficult situation," » Bowra Said. “T suspect there are’ ‘always going: to be people, who ‘ will criticize ‘them. no matter what they.do." . The: ‘decision makes : it ‘attractive for’: an’ investor to come in, he said. “T think quite. frankly, if you don’ thave fj an investor pulting-in money (o, start up a milly: it doésn't... _ really matter how. much the old taxes were. ‘The future’i ‘is ff 9 the future and the past is the past.” ‘Bowra-said there’s ‘now. cause for. aptimiam, oe > “The, process has takén: longer thati anyone: expected, but I think. it's almost there t now." FIRST NATION’ S SOUVENIR 8. GIFT STORE Open Sundays Noon - ‘6:00 p.m. - Skeerta Mall © Terrace ‘1-800-563-4362 _ He signed’ the cabinet: order. that ‘exempts “Terrace, ° Prince Rupert; Port. Edward: and New Hazelton: from the - Aid ‘Coell ‘said: “This way they. have a chance to" see. taxes in the future. I think the eouneils 2 jake. Up: the z : ve TRAVEL PILLOW PLUS © Mini cervical pillow wit memory foam - Restfu sleep on the go aoe ANTI- SNORE PILLOW Unique eleva por panel. 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