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JANUARY 5, 2015
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Vol. 64, Issue 2
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RCMP had a busy New Years TOWNSMAN STAFF
and March 15 to hear formal complaints. The East Kootenay assessment office is located at Suite 200, 117 Cranbrook St North in Cranbrook. During the month of January, office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Property owners can contact BC Assessment toll-free at 1-866-valueBC (1-866-8258322) or online by clicking “CONNECT” at www.bcassessment.ca.
The New Year kicked off with a bang for local RCMP members, who had their hands full throughout the evening as they responded to a number of calls from the serious to the humorous. The most serious was an incident up in the Park Royal neighbourhood at 2:45 a.m. where two groups of people were involved in a fight. RCMP responded and quickly learned that knives and pool cue balls were used as weapons. Four individuals suffered significant injuries such as slash wounds, knocked-out teeth and bite marks, however, all received medical attention and are not suffering from any life-threatening injuries. Four subjects were taken into custody without incident at the scene. Three were found in a vehicle attempting to leave the area while the fourth was tracked by the police dog and found hiding in a shed. A pool cue ball and knife believed to be used in the assault were also located and seized. “This is not a random act,” said S/Sgt. Dave Dubnyk, the Cranbrook RCMP detachment commander. “The subjects knew each other and are known to police.”
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ARNE PETRYSHEN PHOTO
Welcome Mason Wright, the first baby born at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in 2015. Mason was born at 1:22 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2015, to parents Dave and Alyssa Wright, from Kimberley B.C. Mason weighed in at nine pounds, seven ounces.
Property values increasing in 2015 Assessment notices being sent out to Cranbrook area residents
TOWNSMAN STAFF
Owners of more than 14,000 properties in the City of Cranbrook and the surrounding area can expect to receive their 2015 assessment notices in the next few days. “Most homes in Cranbrook are worth more in value compared to last year’s Assessment Roll,” said Rod Ravenstein, Kootenay Region Deputy Assessor. “Most home owners in the City of Cranbrook will see modest increases depending on their location. For example, a typi-
cal single family home in Cranbrook that was previously assessed at $252,000 was valued at $257,000 in the summer of 2014.” Overall, Cranbrook’s Assessment Roll increased from $2.66 billion last year to $2.71 billion this year. This value reflects a change due to market movement as well as $30.1 million in growth due to subdivisions, rezoning and new construction. The examples below demonstrate local market trends for residential proper-
ties by geographic area. In addition, owners of commercial and industrial properties in Cranbrook will typically see changes ranging from +/- 5%. “Property owners who feel that their property assessment does not reflect market value as of July 1, 2014, or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact BC Assessment as indicated on their notice as soon as possible in January,” said Ravenstein. “If a property owner is still
concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by February 2, for an independent review by a Property Assessment Review Panel,” added Ravenstein.www.bcassessment.ca We Value BC The Property Assessment Review Panels, independent of BC Assessment, are appointed annually by the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, and typically meet between February 1