City of North Battleford proposing vacant building tax
City of North Battleford is considering imposing a vacancy tax bylaw to deal with a chronic problem of numerous empty commercial buildings occupying the downtown area.
The aim of the tax is to help improve economic development, not to increase revenues, said Mayor Ryan Bater. He said the objective is to “further increase the economic development of our economy by getting commercial properties back into the commercial-property market.”
The additional funds the city receives with the proposed initiative will be put into economic development.
Bater introduced the bylaw at Tuesday’s Battlefords Chamber of Commerce meeting.