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Graymont denied request to waive $30K in penalties after not paying taxes on time

In a letter to the MD of Bighorn requesting the penalties be waived, a representative from the company explained that 2020 tax bill was mailed to the Calgary office, which has been empty due to COVID-19.
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The Graymont Exshaw Plant on Saturday (Jan. 23). EVAN BUHLER RMO PHOTO

EXSHAW – Graymont is on the hook for a $30,348 penalty after failing to pay its 2020 municipal property tax bill. 

The company requested a waiver of the penalties, with regional controller Michael Stewart explaining in a letter to council why it did not pay the annual tax bill.

"It has come to my attention that Graymont Western Canada has been delinquent in payment of property taxes," Stewart wrote on Nov. 19, 2020. "I apologize for this and we are now rushing through payment.

"Our Calgary office has been empty for a good portion of this year due to COVID concerns and we are in the process of shutting the office down. I am assuming that the original invoices were mailed to this office and this situation at hand contributed to not receiving and processing the payment." 

The MD of Bighorn's director of finance Shaina Tutt recommended that council decline the request, which covered 12 separate titled properties the company owns. 

"This report is asking that council decline the landowner's request for a waiver of property tax penalties," Tutt said.

Reeve Dene Cooper recused himself due to a conflict of interest.

Councillor Paul Ryan put forward the motion to decline the request, which was passed unanimously.

"If they weren't picking up their mail, that must have been quite a lot of mail once they got to the post office," Ryan said. "This would be consistent with what we have done [in other circumstances]."

Three other property owners in the MD requested penalties be waived for units they own in Cooperstone Resort in Dead Man's Flats. All were denied by unanimous vote of council at its December business meeting. 

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