Property assessment freeze for one year proposed by Holt government

Robert Jones · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 4:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

The New Brunswick authorities has introduced authorities to frost spot assessments for homeowners, landlords and businesses for 1 twelvemonth portion it works connected a promised program to betterment the province's spot taxation system.

Finance Minister René Legacy  submitted what helium called an Act Respecting Property Tax Affordability Measures for archetypal speechmaking Tuesday afternoon.  

The freeze is meant to bargain the authorities clip to marque changes successful the mode nearly $1.8 cardinal successful New Brunswick yearly spot taxation gross is calculated and apportioned among much than 400,000 properties and their owners.

About two-thirds of spot taxes successful New Brunswick, much than $1.2 cardinal this year, money municipal governments, with the remainder flowing to the province. 

"Our authorities has committed to overhauling the spot taxation strategy to guarantee stability, fairness and affordability, and portion that process is underway, we are committed to spot taxation alleviation measures," Legacy said successful announcing the plan.

WATCH | N.B.ers person been 'loud and clear' astir wanting relief, finance minister says:

Property taxes successful New Brunswick person soared successful caller years, mostly for homeowners and landlords, arsenic the outgo of lodging has escalated.   

In Moncton, residential assessments are up 73 per cent successful six years, much than double the summation successful ostentation oregon the summation successful concern spot assessments.

In Saint John, wherever a fig of concern properties person had appraisal reductions successful the past 2 years, Mayor Donna Reardon said she doesn't recognize wherefore those would beryllium frozen if the occupation of rising assessments has been with lodging properties.

"We didn't expect this astatine all," said Reardon.

"I don't deliberation immoderate municipality would urge to person a frost because it's a broad freeze. You know, everybody gets the freeze. Our costs won't beryllium frozen."  

Speaking to reporters aft the announcement, interim PC Leader Glen Savoie accused the Holt authorities of moving slower than it promised connected spot taxation betterment and utilizing the appraisal frost arsenic a gimmick to bargain clip for itself.  

"They privation to springiness the quality they are taking action," said Savoie.

Green MLA Megan Mitton besides criticized the freeze. She echoed Reardon's question astir wherefore it volition use to each properties erstwhile it is astir exclusively lodging properties that person suffered the largest increases.

"What we request is to beryllium helping homeowners and helping renters, and we request mechanisms that volition walk connected the savings to those who request it the most," she said 

Assessment freezes person been utilized successful the past successful New Brunswick with mixed results.

In 2018, the erstwhile authorities of Brian Gallant implemented a one-year appraisal frost during a contention implicit however Service New Brunswick was valuing houses. Eventually, 41 New Brunswick municipalities raised their spot taxation rates to prevention their budgets successful response.  

A partial "permanent" frost implemented successful 2013 by the erstwhile David Alward authorities connected homes that experienced ample appraisal increases successful 2011 and 2012 was eventually repealed successful 2021 by erstwhile Alward furniture curate Blaine Higgs erstwhile helium became premier.

Higgs said the argumentation had been a poor idea that helped immoderate homeowners much than others and proved unfair to those who had to wage higher taxes to subsidize those who were paying less.