Seven significant corporate citizens are taking their tax assessment appeals to the Municipal Government Board, Council was informed Tuesday.

Marmot Basin, Chateau Jasper, Maligne Lodge Limited, Pyramid Lake Resort and three properties owned by Mountain Parks Lodges (the Amethyst, Lobstick and Marmot Lodges) had appealed their 2005 tax assessments to the local Assessment Review Board but will now be appealing that body’s decisions at the provincial level. Chateau Jasper is also appealing their 2004 assessment.

A compromised settlement before the board could result in losses in tax revenue depending on the decision, Director of Finance Keith Shepherd told Council.

“It’s impossible to give a definite figure,” he said. Board decisions will not result in a complete loss of the tax dollars assessed for any one of the properties in question, but the final number is logically likely to fall between the level of taxation assessed by the municipality and what the properties are requesting, he said. Shepherd told Council that he would attempt to provide a range of potential costs in time for the next meeting in two weeks time.

The Municipal Government Board is an independent and impartial body designed to hear appeals of this nature and other disputes that arise from decisions made under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Government Act. The board is comprised of assessors, lawyers, businesspeople and former municipal administrators.

The Municipality of Jasper will be represented by its tax assessors at the hearings, the schedules for which have yet to be determined. Results should be expected by the middle of 2006, Shepherd said.

All of the businesses involved in appeals have paid their taxes, meaning that in the event of any changes to the eventual assessment, the town will be forced to provide refunds, said Mayor Richard Ireland.

One councillor expressed his concerns about having to transfer an unexpected tax burden to others in the community.

“Any money we lose means we will be short in the budget. And that means that we’ll have to go to other taxpayers to make up the difference,” said Andy Walker, who added a wry observation about the businesses involved in the appeals process.

“I might point out that this is the same group that its pushing for us to work with them on marketing,” he said.

At least one business is requesting changes to the assessment procedure for their property, as opposed to the more common issue about the actual dollar figure of the tax burden. Appeals based on procedure and method can also be brought before the Court of Queen’s Bench as a final step should the Municipal Government Board’s decision be unsatisfactory to the complainant, Shepherd said.