598 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

I lean to the right politically. This ain't right.

-O-hwgkC-Vo

[sebberry]

Well at least there weren't any political messages in there...

http://www.youtube.c...0LVvGmA&index=3

[David Bratzer]

Not sure if anyone here has been following the situation involving the Auditor General. MLA Eric Foster chairs the committee that declined to reappoint John Doyle for a second term.

After carefully researching the situation, I’ve filed an online complaint with BC Assessment regarding their assessed value of the building leased as a constituency office by the Vernon-Monashee MLA. Here is my complaint:

“Recent media reports suggest that in 2009, the individual leasing 3209 31st Avenue in Vernon – Mr. Eric Foster – spent as much as $78,000 on building renovations. This property is currently assessed at $187,100. Given the renos, I believe its actual market value to be higher.”

The complaint will be heard by the Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP). A date has not been set yet, but the Panel is required to hold the hearing by March 15th. The hearing will be open to the public.

I will be asking the Panel to compel Mr. Foster to appear as a witness at the hearing and also to produce financial documents regarding the 2009 renovations. This way he can demonstrate the value added to the property through the expenditure of public funds. The authority for the Panel to compel witnesses and order disclosure is found in Section 39 of the Assessment Act.

http://davidbratzer....ituency-office/

[spanky123]

Not sure if anyone here has been following the situation involving the Auditor General. MLA Eric Foster chairs the committee that declined to reappoint John Doyle for a second term.

After carefully researching the situation, I’ve filed an online complaint with BC Assessment regarding their assessed value of the building leased as a constituency office by the Vernon-Monashee MLA. Here is my complaint:

“Recent media reports suggest that in 2009, the individual leasing 3209 31st Avenue in Vernon – Mr. Eric Foster – spent as much as $78,000 on building renovations. This property is currently assessed at $187,100. Given the renos, I believe its actual market value to be higher.”

The complaint will be heard by the Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP). A date has not been set yet, but the Panel is required to hold the hearing by March 15th. The hearing will be open to the public.

I will be asking the Panel to compel Mr. Foster to appear as a witness at the hearing and also to produce financial documents regarding the 2009 renovations. This way he can demonstrate the value added to the property through the expenditure of public funds. The authority for the Panel to compel witnesses and order disclosure is found in Section 39 of the Assessment Act.

http://davidbratzer....ituency-office/

So what exactly are you trying to investigate here? Are you suggesting that BC Assessment is in cohhots with the owner of the building that Mr. Foster is leasing to artificially lower assessment values?

[Mike K.]

It will all come down to what those renovations actually were. If they were "lease-hold improvements," (redesigning or upgrading a commercial space to suit the commercial lease holder's business needs, etc) which commercial tenants of a commercial building must pay for out of pocket (in the majority of cases). Such improvements may not actually increase the value of a building. Even brand new office buildings are usually in a raw state (scroll down to the interior photo) and tenants must pay for finishing the space and bring it up to whatever standard of design they desire.

Just to get something straight though. Are commercial properties taxed a certain amount based on the value of the building, and that tax changes annually depending on the assessed value, or is there a different way of assessing taxes?

[bluefox]

Mike, what stinks in the Foster case was that the renovation costs were paid to the landlord and not the contractor. That's what needs to be investigated.

Besides that, if the renovations cost almost 40% of the assessed value of the building, what person in their right mind wouldn't just tear it down and start from scratch?

[spanky123]

Mike, what stinks in the Foster case was that the renovation costs were paid to the landlord and not the contractor. That's what needs to be investigated.

Besides that, if the renovations cost almost 40% of the assessed value of the building, what person in their right mind wouldn't just tear it down and start from scratch?

It is very common for landlords to do tenant improvements on behalf of the tenant and then recover the fees through rent. If it was my building then I would want to make sure that it was being renovated properly and to the rigth standard.

It doesn't take a lot to spend $78K on a commercial renovation. New commercial carpets, paint, offices, and lighting all add up pretty quickly.

[Sparky]

This story is a lot more complicated than what appears on the surface.

1- The building is owned by relatives of his constituency assistant.

2- The renovation costs were approved by the speaker of the house WITHOUT receipts.

3- Eric Foster is the chairman of the committee that has recommended that the Auditor General contract be terminated.

4- The Auditor General, John Doyle, has suggested in the past that the renovation costs without receipts for the work and the fact that the owner of the building is related to the constituency assistant could be considered a conflict of interest.

5- Eric Foster claims he was unaware of the Auditor General's accusations when voting to have his contract terminated.

6- A search of the interactive web site that Vernon provides shows that NO BUILDING PERMIT was issued for the renovation work.

7- If a building permit had been issued, for work over $25,000, a number of other development requirements would have had to been addressed. (parking, signage, civil infrastructure)

8- If a building permit had been issued, upon completion of that work the BC Assessment Authority would have been automatically alerted to inspect for a possible increase in property value.

Sorry for the advertisement at the beginning of this news clip.

http://www.chbcnews....=5&s=dd#stories

[spanky123]

Thank you very much for clarifying this Sparky.

[VicHockeyFan]

Since this is sort of on-topic, whats-his-name that took over from Savoie has not taken over her cons. office on Blanshard, although on radio he said he was considering it, along with some other offices. Now, I don't wanna be too cynical, but why could he just not take it over, surely he's not already shopping the lease around to someone more friendly to him.

[Mike K.]

Likewise, thanks, Sparky.

@VHF, so the premises have remained void of an MP while taxpayers continue to foot the monthly lease payments? That space must cost several thousand per month in just the lease to the landlord, let alone operating costs and monthly expenses.

[Layne French]

Did this not make much of a ripple out there? Naturally some of the responses that were caught in the media here were kinda embarrassing on behalf of a lot of Albertans.

http://www.calgaryhe...4480/story.html

[G-Man]

I heard one story but it did not get much traction. This has happened before.

[Mike K.]

Just a reminder, please include some reference or a concise blurb about news articles as they are often removed after being published and can no longer be referenced.

Calgary power players hosting British Columbia cabinet ministers at a fundraiser in the city today say they expect a conciliatory attitude from the Liberal politicians, whose government has been embroiled in a pipeline battle with Alberta.

B.C. Energy, Mines and Natural Gas Minister Rich Coleman and Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Bill Bennett will attend a $125-per-person reception fundraiser for their party this evening.

Christy Clark’s Liberal government has threatened to halt Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline from the oilsands to the west coast if five conditions are not met, including that B.C. receive a “fair share” of the economic benefit of the $6 billion project.

Any notion of sharing royalties is a non-starter among Alberta politicians and has been flatly rejected by Premier Alison Redford’s government.

Rod Love, the former Ralph Klein adviser who is one of the event’s organizers, said the B.C. politicos maintain their stance has been “misconstrued.”

[drt]

Has anyone noticed that the BC NDP website has absolutely no information on what their policies are? Not even like, a couple paragraphs on what it is they believe in:

http://www.bcndp.ca/

Anyone trying to learn about the party from their website is going to be sorely disappointed. If I was a newcomer to provincial politics my takeaway from that website would mostly be that the NDP is a party that stands for hating the Liberal Party. I mean, the BC Liberal website isn't much better:

http://www.bcliberal...hat_we_believe/

But at least it has SOMETHING that pretends to be a description of the party's policies.

Also, I guess the BC Conservative Party has all but given up?

[Bingo]

I expect the mudslinging to escalate to include which was the biggest fiasco, the Liberals BC Rail sale, or the NDP's Fast Ferry blunder.

Has anyone noticed that the BC NDP website has absolutely no information on what their policies are? Not even like, a couple paragraphs on what it is they believe in:

If I was a newcomer to provincial politics my takeaway from that website would mostly be that the NDP is a party that stands for hating the Liberal Party. I mean, the BC Liberal website isn't much better:

[jonny]

I have a hard time imagining that the BC NDP releasing a platform would do them any favours in this election.

I haven't been following much of the the news regarding the upcoming provincial election, but I noticed the other day that the gap between the Libs and NDP has narrowed to about 15% points.

I think that gap will narrow further once we get closer to election day and people realize that the Conservatives are not a viable alternative.

[drt]

Whoever I end up voting for, I'm sure I'll have to hold my nose while doing so. What a lousy set of choices and I'm sure lots of people feel the same way.

[jonny]

Whoever I end up voting for, I'm sure I'll have to hold my nose while doing so. What a lousy set of choices and I'm sure lots of people feel the same way.

Exactly. Dumb and dumber, or is it dumber and dumberer in this case?

[spanky123]

Has anyone noticed that the BC NDP website has absolutely no information on what their policies are? Not even like, a couple paragraphs on what it is they believe in:

http://www.bcndp.ca/

Anyone trying to learn about the party from their website is going to be sorely disappointed. If I was a newcomer to provincial politics my takeaway from that website would mostly be that the NDP is a party that stands for hating the Liberal Party. I mean, the BC Liberal website isn't much better:

http://www.bcliberal...hat_we_believe/

But at least it has SOMETHING that pretends to be a description of the party's policies.

Also, I guess the BC Conservative Party has all but given up?

IMHO the NDP's best bet is to say nothing. They are going to win by a landslide simply due to the Liberal's unpopularity. All they will accomplish by actually stating policies is alienating sectors which those policies impact.