Yail Harbor Inc. appeared before the regular meeting of Yorkton Council seeking a tax exemption on property where six units belonging to Pathway Homes.
The exemption was granted for five years in 2013, but came to an end after 2018.
The City of Yorkton had donated the land to Yail Harbor Inc. for the proposed Pathway Homes project approximately in 2010, with the donation of the land to Yail Harbor Inc., explained Yail Harbor director John denBrok.
Typically, group home properties such as this are exempt from taxation under The Residential Services Act; however, the property in discussion does not qualify due to the lack of 24 hour staffing, explained Ashley Stradeski, Director of Finance with the City. He added, the property is, however, adjacent to 89 Rae Avenue, which is in fact staffed 24 hours. This was done to keep costs down by utilizing the staff at one location to service multiple units. As such, they are not technically tax exempt but are still providing a similar level of service.
Stradeski noted as well the agreement in place for tax exemption expired December 31, 2018.
It was discussed at its inception to look into options such as the City renewing the exemption at the end of the five-year period, or issuing a grant, he said.
鈥淕iven that the property is still being operated as a group home and the conditions that existed which brought us to enter this agreement are still virtually the same, Council could direct Administration to enter into another agreement with similar terms,鈥� offered Stradeski.
That was the avenue Council unanimously took in extending the tax exemption for an additional five years.
The 2019 taxes, which would otherwise be collected, are $10,010.41.
