Maple Ridge business owners who have noticed a hike in their property tax bills from last year are actually getting back to par, according to city hall.

Trevor Thompson, city chief financial officer, said businesses property owners have asked city hall about their higher bills.

“We have done some review of this matter for our commercial property owners,” he said. “In 2020 the B.C. government implemented a reduction on school taxes as part of their COVID economic support package for businesses. As a result, in 2020 businesses paid substantially less for school taxes than in 2019.”

The higher bill this year is a return to pre-pandemic school tax rates.

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“In 2021, the BC Government did not extended that tax relief program or choose to phase in a return to the normal taxation level,” noted Thompson. “As a result, commercial and industrial property owners are seeing the full return of the school tax levy on their 2021 tax notice. This impact is being felt across British Columbia, and this is not something controlled by local governments.”

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