John Rustad

Creative thinking from the provincial government would go a long way to avoiding the kind of revenue hit being experienced by the District of Houston because of the closure of Canfor’s sawmill, says B.C. Conservative Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. He’s suggesting everything from easing up on requirements to return a former industrial property to a “green” status to a tax holiday for a new owner of a property. Current BC Assessment Authority provisions allow a company to have its buildings and improvements assessment for taxation purposes drop to 10 per cent of what it was, if it declares a permanent closure to its activity. …Houston is not the only community [with] a severe property tax loss, he said. “The same is happening in Fraser Lake with West Fraser closing its mill, and that will be happening in Vanderhoof with Plateau,” Rustad continued. Rustad said [the] provincial government is driving away industry and people.