Recently, Town of Peace River Council gave first reading to Bylaw No. 2146, regarding the designation of manufactured homes within Manufactured Home Communities (trailer parks). So, we want to fill you in on what that bylaw means for you if Council moves forward with second and third readings!
Background
Right now, we tax these lands by way of levies sent to the park owner in question, and then a separate levy is sent to individual park residents for residential taxation. Unfortunately, the Town has struggled historically to collect those property taxes from the park residents. The costs associated with write offs and collection are born by all taxpayers.
This problem is seen in many rural communities across Alberta, so we looked to those communities to see what they’ve done over the years to address these issues, how they created bylaws similar to that being considered by Council, and when they put those bylaws in place:
- County of St. Paul – 2016
- Town of High Level – 2012
- Town of Vegreville – 2019
- Town of Viking – 2021
Bylaw No. 2146
The bylaw now being considered by Council would make the parks’ owners responsible for paying all residential taxes for their property. Those property owners could then bill the owners of manufactured homes directly for tax rate reimbursement through rents, or other means, as determined by the park owners.
This is allowed through the Municipal Government Act, and has proven effective in other communities.
Administration is proposing that this Bylaw would come into effect on January 1, 2026. This gives all parties an opportunity to revise their rental agreements, and reflect on how best to implement the change.