A representative from the Manitoba Assessment Office made a presentation at Niverville Town Council last week, informing council of the assessment changes coming for the 2025 tax year.

Roger Storoschuk, with Manitoba Assessment, noted that Niverville residents would be receiving their 2025 property assessment in the mail shortly, if not already in their hands, and he encourages residents to look over the invoice and ask questions if they had any.

Storoschuk says he expects phone calls and inquiries and notes that is normal, and residents should ask questions.

He tells us how they established a market-value of each property in Niverville. "We go back to April 1, 2023, and the dollar value on that day is what they based the property assessment on."

He says there are several property tax classes within the town of Niverville, many of which have increased significantly in the past two years. He notes that Niverville municipal assessment has increased 24%.

“Meanwhile, single-family, residential properties did see a percentage change of 25.8%. While apartment properties saw an increase of 11.7%, and residential condominiums had an increase of 13.5%. So, the average residential assessment was an increase of 24.3%.”

He notes that commercial/industrial properties saw an assessment increase of 20%, while institutional properties, like churches and schools, as well as part of the Heritage Center, only saw an increase of 6.2%. Along with an increase in rail transportation and designated recreational property values led to an average increase between all property classes to an assessment value increase of 23.6%.

Storoschuck says that when it came to home sales in Niverville from April 1, 2021, to April 1, 2023, there have been over 500 homes and properties sold, whether multi-family or single-family units. Mayor Myron Dyck interjects, noting that most of those sales were from new homes, with very few resales.

Storoschuk explains that while there is a 23.6% assessment increase for the town, that is not the increase in taxes Niverville homeowners can expect on their 2025 tax bills.

"So, if Niverville Town Council would keep their 2025 budget the same as the 2023 budget, then there would be a slight 2% increase in single-family, residential property's tax bill. In its simplest form, if the budget were to stay the same from 2023 to 2025, properties that increased (their assessment) less than 23.6% would see a tax decrease, and those properties with a higher than 23.6% assessment would see an increase in their taxes. And, if a homeowner has exactly a 23.6% assessment increase, you should expect a zero percent change in taxes.”

For Niverville residents who may need more explanations, Storoschuk encourages them to contact Manitoba Assessment office, or they are welcome to make plea to the Board of Revision in October. 

If that's what you'd like to do, Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck adds that it would be a good idea for residents to come prepared with property value comparisons of their home.

“Rather than coming to the Board of Revision asking why taxes are so high, they should come prepared with evidence whereby the Board of Revision and a representative from Manitoba Assessment would have the means to look at the evidence to back up why they (the homeowner) believe that their property was overly assessed.” 

Storoschuk adds that some residents might bring in a realtor's appraisal of their home. He says when this is done, they (assessment panel) will compare three or four home sales and compare the numbers, to come up with the most accurate home value.  

He says, “Regardless of how the value of a property is assessed, we still do a fair number of actual inspections. We also use sales information, but I would be open to discussion if the homeowner wanted, because accuracy is what we're trying to aim for."

Storoschuk adds Niverville residents can visit the provincial website and do an online search for their property or their neighbors to see the value and compare.

Mayor Myron Dyck encouraged residents to come forward if they believed that their 2025 assessment was incorrect.

Dyck explains the process. “There is something called the Board of Revision, which generally happens in October and the resident would contact the town office if they wanted to appeal their assessment. Then they should find comparable sales of houses like theirs as close to April 1st of 2023 as they can, so like before February or March 2023, so that there's evidence that they could provide to the Board of Revision.” 

Dyck noted that the Board of Revision is essentially Niverville Town Council members but acting as an independent arbiter.

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