Sticker shock over house assessments

PRINCE GEORGE – A bit of sticker shock for some homeowners, who have seen their property values jump by 40-thousand, 65-thousand dollars, and even higher. In fact, every community in Northern BC saw increases in assessed value, from 11% in McBride and 14% in Valemount and Vanderhoof, 20% in Fort St. James and Prince George to a whopping forty percent in Wells.

“We’re seeing about five to 35 percent across the region,” explains Beau Rossell, Deputy Assessor, Northern BC.

He says there are a number of factors that go into reaching the assessed values, such as recent home sales and values as of July 1, 2021. So what does that mean to the average taxpayer? Think of the City as a $100-million corporation because that’s what it is. And with things like inflation, it takes a bit more to run the corporation each year. The amount of taxes you pay is based on the value of your property.