Council approved a new three-member parcel tax roll review panel in a special meeting on Monday, a process that previously bogged down (and failed) in controversy; more recently, council’s decision to re-appoint an entirely new panel resulted in acrimony at council.
Section 204 of the Community Charter requires the city to appoint a review panel to hear any complaints before a parcel tax is imposed for the first time, in this case the Ophir Reservoir parcel tax.
The new panel convened at noon today at city hall to hear parcel tax roll complaints, as the city advertised with various notices on April 7.
Coun. Laurie Charlton, Mayor Greg Granstrom, and Coun. Kathy Moore were appointed to the panel last year to adjudicate complaints, but they failed to authenticate the tax roll.
According to a public memo by CAO Victor Kumar, two of the panel contravened procedure in two ways, first by introducing a late amendment to the agenda — “a [panel] member cannot make a complaint and purport to adjudicate on that issue” — and secondly by attempting to “investigate” an alternative method of calculating the parcel tax.
It was Kumar’s opinion that “one or two panel members are confusing [the zoning bylaw with the application of tax.]”
Legally, Kumar said, the panel must “apply objective standards,” and “follow procedure,” but “the 2010 review panel prejudiced their independence,” confusing their “quasi-judicial function” with their “policy decision making function.”
Granstrom was sure to point out that the formula contested by the panel “has gone to the B.C. court and was upheld in the Court of Appeal.”
When the issue of reappointing a panel was addressed by council on Feb. 14, Charlton was upset by what he perceived as libel on Kumar’s part, but Charlton’s behaviour then spurred the Mayor to eject Charlton and phone the police to make sure it happened.
The situation resolved when Charlton apologized.
Staff was instructed by the resolution that passed at that meeting to assemble a new panel of people who “are not active members of the present council but who have previously served on city council.”
Staff recommended — and council approved — the appointments of Ms. Jackie Drysdale and Mr. Steve Knox. Staff reported that, “due to sickness and vacation commitments” of potential panelists, they were unable to find a third member who fit the criteria.
Instead, staff suggested Mr. Bill Trewhella, “a seasoned previous elected official from the Village of Warfield,” who offered to assist, and council accepted this offer.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The original headline on this story (and the one that appeared in print) was written in error. The person who wrote it (me) misread the story originally and thought council had only appointed two members to the panel so far and had accepted a recommendation to appoint a third member, but hadn't done so yet. I apologize for the mistake.