The town of Central Butte is finding that one local man is standing up for his right to be heard. Cliff Wiens of Central Butte has been at odds with the Town of Central Butte over unfair increased property tax.
Cliff and Eileen Wiens own two adjacent lots which have been taxed separately since they purchased their property in 2013. The second lot has no water or electricity. It is an unserviced lot. In 2013-2015 the Wiens were being taxed $2.29-$2.46/year.
In 2016 however, the taxes on the second lot were changed. The tax charged went from under $5.00 yearly to $822.72 (32,941% increase) with no town upgrades, water, or electricity added to the lot. The tax continued to increase from $961.99 in 2022 for the non-service lot in rural Saskatchewan to $1,211.99 in 2023.
The council reassessed the invoiced tax amount on the non-service lot and an abatement of $1200 was granted as there are “inconsistencies in the manner in which an adjourning lot with no services were being taxed for different residences throughout the town of Central Butte,” quoted Cliff Wiens in a letter to the town council of Central Butte. Cliff has calculated the over-payment to the town from 2016-2022 as being $5,695.28.
With the burden of food, gas, electricity, and taxes increasing each year, how many fixed-income ratepayers will be able to afford to remain in their homes?
Unexplained tax increases of 26% from 2022-2023 are leaving some residents of Central Butte questioning the future of the town.
“The seniors are the ones who surprise me the most, with their sadness and hopeless feelings, (regarding) their struggles with the town council and the town administrator,” said Cliff Wiens. “They have worked all their lives in and around Central Butte to make it a better place to live and to see it crumbling and dismantling before their eyes is crushing their hearts.” He continues on to say, “For a small town, the response has been unbelievable, which confirms to me that I am not wrong.”
With current budget constraints, the town is not planning on re-reimbursing the Wiens at this time.
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