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

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