Finance FAQs
Lonnie Kaal, Director of Finance
Tel: (306) 786-1721
Fax: (306) 786-6880
e-mail:
Property Taxes
When are property taxes due?
The City of Yorkton tax year runs from January 1st to December 31st
with the property taxes due August 31st of each year.
When are tax notices mailed out?
Taxes notices are mailed out at the end of June. Prepayment notices are mailed
out January 1st , but these are not the official tax notices, they
are just notification as to the discount program being offered that year by the
City of Yorkton.
How do I pay my taxes?
| Mail |
Send a cheque or money order to City of Yorkton, P.O. Box 400, YORKTON, SK S3N 2W3. |
| In Person |
At the City Office at 37 Third Avenue North between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday |
| Post Dated Cheques |
On or before date due. Receipts are mailed out as the cheques are processed. |
| Drop Box Payment |
May be made in the Ticket slot in the lobby of City Hall at 37 Third Ave. North |
| Interac |
Payment may be made by Interac at City Hall - we do not accept credit cards |
| Online |
Payment may be made online through your bank. Register your Roll # with your bank, and they will notify our office when payments are made.
Some banks require a 12 digit number, please add two 0's at the front of your Roll #. |
|
Telephone Banking |
With any financial institution that has arrangements
with the City of Yorkton |
|
The City of Yorkton currently does not have a TIPPS program in place. |
What happens if I do not pay my tax bill?
If your current year's taxes remain unpaid after August 31st, you
will be charged a monthly penalty of .75%. If your taxes remain unpaid after
December 31st, your property is deemed to be in arrears and the penalty
increases to 1% per month.
If the taxes remain in arrears a tax lien will be placed on your property. This means the City has the right to pursue options under the Tax Enforcement
Act, including any or all of the following:
- civil action
- seizures of rent
- take title of the property
Is there any discount for paying early?
There is a discount program in place and apply to any amount paid on the
current year's taxes. The discounts are broken down as follows:
| |
|
January |
2.5% |
|
February |
2.0% |
|
March |
1.5% |
|
April |
1.0% |
|
May |
0.5% |
|
Why do I pay school taxes when I don't have children or I am a senior.
All property owners, whether they have children attending school or not, are
required by Provincial law to pay school taxes.
The prosperity and general well-being of society, or the community at large, is
directly related to the education of its people. For that reason, the costs of
education are deemed to be the responsibility of everyone.
While the City of Yorkton bills and collects school taxes, the municipality has
no jurisdiction or control over school board budgets or operations.
For more information please contact the local school board offices at the
following numbers:
| |
Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division |
|
783-8787 |
| |
Good Spirit School Division |
|
786-5500 |
Can I appeal my taxes?
No. Provincial legislation allows for an appeal against the assessment
of a property, but it does not provide for an appeal against the taxes, or mill
rate of a municipality.
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Assessment
What is assessment?
Fair value is determined by following the formulas, rules,
principles and regulates set out in Provincial legislation and the Saskatchewan
Assessment Manual.
Why would my property's fair value change?
Fair values change for various reasons, such as:
-
additions, upgrades or other buildings changes have been recorded
-
buildings have been removed or replaced
-
a land subdivision has occurred
Where do you get the information to calculate my fair
value assessment?
The City of Yorkton contracts the Saskatchewan Assessment
Management Agency to review information about your property obtained from
building permits, physical inspections, land title information and sales data to
arrive at a Fair Value for your property.
For more information on the calculation of fair value
please visit the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency web site. (www.sama.sk.ca)
Why is my assessment different from my neighbour's?
Each property is assessed according to Provincial
Legislation and the Saskatchewan Assessment Manual, and size, quality of the
structure, additions, extra bathrooms, year built and garages all impact the
fair value. The location of the home as well as the size of the lot may also
affect the fair value.
What do I do if I disagree with my assessment?
Owners of property who disagree with its assessed value of
classification may appeal to the local Board of Revision.
Appeals may be made if you believe there has been an error
in your property's valuation or classification.
When do I appeal?
Each municipality annually prepares an assessment roll and
provides notice of its completion in a local newspaper. Within thirty (30) days
of the assessment roll being advertised you must give your completed notice of
appeal to the secretary of the Board of Revision. This can be done personally
or by ordinary or registered mail. You must ensure that the appeal notice is in
the hands of the secretary of the Board of Revision within the 30 day period.
For more information please contact the Secretary of the
Board of Revision at (306)786-1736.
Can I base my appeal on the fact that I feel my taxes
are too high?
No.
Provincial legislation outlines what are
considered valid grounds of appeal, and taxes, or the mill rate, are not a valid
read for appeal.
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Utilities
How do I set up a water account?
To set up your water account you must come into City Hall to sign a Work
Order and Water Contract.
Is there a connection fee?
All renters and commercial water accounts require a $150.00 deposit. This
deposit must be paid within 24 hours of the account being activated or
services will be discontinued. There is a $20.00 connection fee added to
the first bill every time you change residences.
What happens to the deposit when I move?
When a renter disconnects their water service the deposit is applied against the final bill and
if there is a credit a refund cheque is issued. If you are transferring service to another property and will be renting again we can transfer the deposit you initially paid, however the difference between that deposit and the current deposit amount of $150.00 is required.
For example, if you initially paid $100.00, we would transfer the $100.00 and you are required to pay the difference of $50.00 prior to services being activated.
How often does the City read water meters?
Meters are read three times a year. The bills alternate between actuals and estimates.
Estimates are arrived at by taking an average of the consumption of
previous bills.
Customers are encouraged to phone in their meter reading to 786-1739. On
the water bill there is a section at the bottom called "important notes", this
will give the date as to when the readings should be phoned in.
How often are we billed and what are the rates?
Water bills are issued every two months. The bi-monthly base rate is $17.00 plus a bi-monthly $10.00
recycling charge for residential, $76.00 bi-monthly for commercial. Consumption is calculated at
$10.60/1000 gallons.
How often are we billed, and when are they due?
Water bills are issued every two months, and are due within 30 days of issue.
Is there a minimum billing amount, or base rate?
The City of Yorkton has a minimum billing amount for residential of $27.00, which includes the base rate and recycling charge. Commercial property is
$76.00, and does not include any water use. The water rate is
calculated strictly on consumption.
How do I pay my water bill?
|
Mail |
Send a cheque or money order to City of Yorkton,
P.O. Box 400, YORKTON, SK S3N 2W3. |
|
In Person |
At the City Office at 37 Third Avenue North between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday |
|
Post Dated Cheques |
On or before date due. Receipts are mailed out as the cheques are processed. |
|
Drop Box Payment |
May be made in the Ticket slot in the lobby of City Hall
at 37 Third Ave. North |
|
Interac |
Payment may be made by Interac at City Hall - we do
not accept credit cards |
|
Online and Telephone Banking |
With any financial institution that has arrangements
with the City of Yorkton |
My water bill has always been consistent. Now it is suddenly very high. Why?
A sudden rise in your water bill may be due to a number of reasons including:
- Plumbing leaks in toilets and taps
- Consecutive estimated readings followed by an accurate reading. (If your
water usage was under estimated and your consumption for previous billing
periods was higher, you may see an increase in your current water bill.)
- An increase in the number of people living in the house resulting in
greater water usage
- A dry hot summer, resulting in higher consumption
- An increase in the number of days in the billing period
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