Editor:
As all property owners on the Sunshine Coast, I received my 2017 property assessment notice. To my surprise, it had gone up by 26 per cent. Others have received notice of higher percentage increases. However, when I analyzed the sale prices of neighbouring properties, I realized that the average increase in the surrounding properties was only 2.1 per cent based on sample sold properties shown on the BC Assessment site. The largest increase was 16.74 per cent and the largest decrease was 14.26 per cent based on the same data. Moreover, the average increase on the Sunshine Coast for 2016, as reported by Coast Reporter of Jan. 6, is only 21 per cent.
BC Assessment should be more transparent as to how they came up with their present increase, which should be backed by numbers and examples. I may feel wealthier now, but when the cycle turns, I will end up paying more taxes to cover for the extravaganzas of a government that relies on ever-increasing revenue expectations.
Hesham Seoud, Gibsons
