It took longer than usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the City of Delta on Monday has finally mailed out property tax notices.
Already having voted to lower this year’s tax rate increase from the originally planned 3.5 per cent to 1.75 per cent, council earlier this month agreed to change the penalty date for unpaid property taxes.
In prior years, the city applied a five per cent penalty to outstanding property taxes after July 2 and an additional five per cent penalty after Sept, 2.
Delta also allowed the penalty portion on the Home Owner Grant to be waived, if claimed by Sept. 2.
With the province's recent announcement to provide relief to certain property classes, postponing the date late payment penalties apply for commercial properties, Delta’s finance department recommended that the city establish an alternative tax scheme bylaw in which all property classes have the same effective penalty date of Oct. 1, 2020.
The penalty portion of the Home Owner Grant will be waived if claimed by Nov. 30, 2020.
To maintain consistency among all property classes, staff recommended the due date for property taxes should be July 2, 2020, and a 10 per cent penalty would be applied to outstanding property taxes on October 1, 2020.
Meanwhile, as far as the flat utility rate, full payment was due by March 31, 2020.
A five per cent penalty will be imposed on any outstanding balance after June 1, 2020.
An additional five per cent penalty will be applied on any outstanding balance after Sept. 2, 2020, and a further five per cent penalty will be applied after Nov. 2, 2020.
