Les Leyne: MLA says assessment change aims to stop value drop after Aboriginal title decision – Times Colonist
March 10, 2026
The changes says the B.C. Assessment Authority is “not required to consider any restriction” placed on the use of land by any entity other than the Crown or local governments.
An Opposition critic suspects the NDP government is preparing for a potential drop in property values in areas where Aboriginal title claims create uncertainty.
A short amendment to assessment law that could have the effect of protecting property tax revenues from drops in market value is included in Bill 2, the Budget Measures Implementation Act, a lengthy catalogue of all the legal moves needed to adopt the budget.
The assessment change is intriguing, given the concerns that arose in Richmond since the Cowichan title ruling last year about the impact that decision would have on property values.
