The Town of Oliver has found itself mixed up in a convoluted land issue with the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB).
Town council recently addressed a matter involving the FortisBC office and substation on Tucelnuit Drive. A report by Chief Financial Officer Devon Wannop states that a 1990 referendum shifted this piece of land within Town boundaries. Since that time, the Town has been sending tax notices to the Fortis property and collecting taxes on behalf of other agencies.
Wannop noted the OIB entered into property taxation of non-native properties within their boundaries in 1995. But a dispute commenced in regard to rights of taxation of these two properties. Wannop said the matter was resolved by a five-year agreement between the province and the OIB. The agreement stated the province would remit all school taxes collected on these properties directly to the band.
If this agreement is still in place, that would mean the OIB would have collected about $37,000 from this property (that was paid to the town for its school requisition), Wannop pointed out.
A 2005 report states that the total tax bill for these properties was $137,156 in 2004, of which the province will remit nearly $88,000 to the band. Wannop said the overall impact to the average homeowner in 2017 would be an approximate property tax increase of $6.40.
Town council resolved to send Wannop’s report to the OIB and take no position on the matter. Councillor Jack Bennest said the OIB basically wants the land back in its reserve. Mayor Ron Hovanes acknowledged that the band is looking at replacing several thousand acres of land that was expropriated or taken away in the past.
