Owners of an acreage inside Turner Valley’s town boundaries are asking council to allow them to rejoin the MD of Foothills.
James and Cindy Holladay, who live on a 30 acre lot in Cuffling Flats, asked Town council on March 20 to annex their land back into the MD because they don’t receive water or sewer services, despite paying taxes to the Town. They say they pay more in property taxes than similar, undeveloped and unserviced properties nearby in the MD.
“We are paying Town taxes and we don’t have services,” said James. “The services we receive are the same as living in the MD. (My taxes) are double what my neighbour in the MD pays.”
Since moving to Cuffling Flats two years ago, the Holladays have asked council for water and sewer services, only to learn those services aren’t slated to be extended to the area under the Town’s 10 year capital plan.
“We just want to pay taxes according to the services we receive,” said James. “Either reduce the taxes or give us services. There’s other residents in our area that are in the same situation where some have water or some don’t. The town should come up with some way to look at residents and their different needs.”
Holladay is especially frustrated with the Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) council approved for Cuffling Flats last year, which cost the Town $67,000.
He said it prevents him from building a house on the west side of the property because that area is earmarked for a green space. His land borders the MD and Sheep River.
“The ARP hinders us from doing what we wanted with the property,” he said. “It would be nice to subdivide a little bit off and build a new house but we can’t build where we want. We knew what we were getting into, we just didn’t realize how hard it was to get anywhere.”
James said that in 2012, Cuffling Flats residents requested Town water. The costs associated with a potable water system was estimated at $365,000.
Coun. Barry Crane said he would like council to take the Holladay’s request for reduced taxes seriously.
“A simple reimbursement would do the trick,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be complicated, we just look at each individual item we supply and if they do not receive it we put a number to it. We can easily have a conversation after the mill rate is set.”
Turner Valley Chief Administrative Officer Barry Williamson told council that it’s unprecedented to set individual mill rates.
Mayor Kelly Tuck echoed Williamson, saying setting separate mill rates for residents could be problematic.
“Our responsibility is looking after the well being of all 2,500 people in the town,” she said. “If we consider for one, would we not have to consider for every other resident in this town.”
Tuck said, ideally, all residents would probably like to have their taxes reduced, but the Town of Turner Valley still needs to operate.
“We did have a zero per cent increase on taxes this year and we gave a rebate on water,” she said. “You look at the whole picture not the individual. I have to represent every resident in this town.”
Tuck added that the Holladays, as well as other taxpayers who don’t receive Town water, don’t receive a water bill and therefore don’t pay for that service.
Council suggested the Holladays approached the MD if they’re interested in having their property annexed back. Tuck said the land was annexed as part of Turner Valley in the 1970s, yet no services have been provided since.
Harry Riva Cambrin, MD of Foothills CAO, said requests for annexation of this nature are rare.
“The only time in the past where we have brought land back into the MD was at Spruce Meadows and the City [of Calgary] was agreeable to it,” he said. “In this case if the landowner requests it of Turner Valley and Turner Valley says it would be a good idea then council would consider it.
“We can look at the circumstances and how it fits into the future of the town. The Town is also looking at its future growth areas and that will impact how this happens.”
