Press Release
The Town of Fort Frances yesterday announced the settlement of all outstanding property assessment and taxation matters in respect of Resolute Forest Product’s mill here.
Resolute had filed appeals to the Assessment Review Board (ARB) in order to pursue assessment revisions reflective of the mill’s current state and status for the 2013-16 taxation years.
The Town of Fort Frances responded to the filing of these appeals by taking proactive steps to facilitate the correction and resolution of all assessment and taxation issues without the need for costly and time-consuming litigation.
Resolute was fully engaged and co-operative in this process.
In recognition of the property circumstances, the town moved to engage the taxpayer and the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. in a co-operative effort to reach outcomes acceptable to all parties.
The Ministry of Finance assisted in facilitating discussions between the town and Resolute to reach a balanced solution.
Due to the willingness of all parties to participate in the co-operative discussions and negotiations, a comprehensive settlement has been reached.
This settlement resolves the outstanding appeals against the property assessment, as well as the manner in which all taxation-based applications/adjustments will be disposed of for the 2013-16 taxation years.
The settlement is based on the known and anticipated state, use, and condition of the subject property.
As such, the agreement does allow for the terms to be revisited should those circumstances change.
The town recognizes the efforts of all parties, and reiterates its commitment to pursuing solutions that reduce risk and increase predictability and fairness in respect of property assessment and taxation.
