A citizen complaint to the provincial Ombudsman has forced the Municipal District of Opportunity to update its bylaws and reorganize its Assessment Review Board.
During the Aug. 24 council meeting, administration brought forward options to fix the board’s membership structure.
Chief Financial Officer Trina Mineault says in a report to council that a complainant from 2025 contacted the Ombudsman regarding the makeup of the Assessment Review Board.
“As a result, we are required to update our bylaw and are awaiting final direction as to whether we will need to rehear the 2025 complaints,” Mineault says in the report.
To comply with provincial rules, the municipality must have a proper mix of public members and elected officials on the board. Administration advertised for members-at-large and received one letter of interest from local resident Ernie Grach. Another public member, Tahirih Wiebe, expressed interest in staying on the board, giving the municipality its required two public members.
The board also requires one councillor.
During the meeting, Councillor Darlene Jackson pointed out that Councillor Robin Guild is already trained for the role.
“You need somebody trained,” Jackson said.
Guild agreed to serve on the board, and Councillor Brendan Powell was appointed as the alternate.
“Nice to give me that one,” Powell said.
Jackson made a motion to appoint Wiebe, Grach, and Guild to the board for 2026, which was carried unanimously.
If the province forces the municipality to rehear the 2025 complaints, the M.D. has options to hire an outside contractor. Amorin Accounting provided quotes ranging from $23,400 to $29,250 to redo the 2025 hearings.
For the future, the municipality plans to apply to join the Capital Region Assessment Services Commission for 2027 to 2029. The commission handles assessment complaints for several other municipalities in the region, including Slave Lake and Athabasca. The commission meets in September to approve new applicants.
Armaan Khanna
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter