The policy was approved during the regular council meeting on March 24, 2025 at Don Ross Centre Chamber. (Kenneth Cheung/BattlefordsNOW Staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

TAX ENFORCEMENT

North Battleford cracks down on unpaid taxes with stricter enforcement rules

Mar 25, 2025 | 12:04 PM

The City of North Battleford approved a new tax enforcement policy Monday, setting clear thresholds and procedures for collecting overdue property taxes.

Under the updated policy, enforcement begins when arrears reach at least half of the previous year’s tax levy, with a minimum outstanding balance of $750 before action is triggered.

This is a notable change, as The Tax Enforcement Act does not specify a dollar threshold.

“If you haven’t paid your taxes on time, there’s a process that we go through to ideally get the money. But if that doesn’t work, we go through a process [and] It could end up with you losing a house, or [the] house being sold,” City Manager Randy Patrick explained.

How the new policy works

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Once a property falls into arrears, the city will:

• Identify and advertise the delinquent property in a local newspaper.

• Register a tax lien if the arrears remain unpaid after 60 days.

• Add lien-related costs—such as advertising and registration fees—to the property tax bill.

• Begin title acquisition proceedings six months after registering the lien, if the debt remains outstanding.

• Seek approval from the Provincial Mediation Board, followed by a 30-day final notice to the owner.

• Take ownership and sell the property at public auction or through a sealed tender within 12 months.

• Charge all related costs—including legal, administrative and auction fees—to the property owner.

Director of finance Margarita Pena said the changes will ensure better monitoring and enforcement of tax arrears while keeping council informed throughout the process.

The finance department will provide regular reports on delinquent properties, tracking enforcement actions at every stage.

“It is important to have some parameters to follow,” Pena said. “It gives us an idea. It will give administration a goal to go in, carry on, enforce it and monitor the arrears.”

Mayor Kelli Hawtin highlighted the importance of having a clear, documented process to prevent gaps in enforcement due to staff turnover.

“For council, it’s important that we adopt policies for administration to use, even for succession planning, because as people move through their careers, sometimes corporate knowledge is lost,” Hawtin said.

The policy was approved during the regular council meeting on March 24 at Don Ross Centre Chamber.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com