As part of the budget process this year, we learned the city of Moose Jaw and most major communities across the country, are facing the challenge of losing assessed taxes due to challenges by big corporations.

Since they're taxed tens of thousands of dollars a year, they find it beneficial to pay lawyers to challenge tax assessments. The Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency handles those assessments for almost all communities in our province and made a presentation to Moose Jaw City Council this week after concerns were raised during budget talks regarding the challenges.

"Their representatives, the professional tax agents, know their job pretty well." explained CEO Irwin Blank. "Their job is to look at all of the assessments and try to identify anyway in which that assessment can be adjusted in a downward direction that would be within legal bounds."

"We were, quite frankly, caught a bit flat footed by that. We didn't expect that level of intensity of challenge."

In response, SAMA has brought in an expert of their own and is more confident in their process if as a new reassessment cycle is moved through.