Calgary city councillors are set to consider a report on Tuesday that recommends adjusting administrative fees for citizens filing complaints and appeals through the city's quasi-judicial tribunals. If approved, certain filing fees for the Calgary Assessment Review Board and the License and Community Standards Appeal Board would increase by $10 to $25, while some fees would be eliminated.
Proposed fee changes
Under the recommendations, the fee to receive a copy of the notice of appeal from the License and Community Standards Appeal Board would rise from $100 to $125, a $25 increase. The cost for an audio recording of a hearing would increase by $10, from $50 to $60. For the Assessment Review Board, some filing fees would see $10 increases, though specific amounts were not detailed in the report.
However, the city also proposes scrapping the current $10 fee for accessing a copy of the Assessment Review Board's notice of hearing and the $10 fee for a copy of the tribunal's notice of decision. These documents are already freely available on CanLii.org, a legal information website.
Background on the tribunals
The Assessment Review Board handles disputes from homeowners contesting their yearly assessed property value, processing a few thousand appeals annually, according to a city representative. The License and Community Standards Appeal Board deals with appeals related to city decisions on permits or licenses, including responsible pet ownership bylaw complaints or business licenses, receiving 20 to 25 appeals per year.
Jeremy Fraser, deputy city clerk for council and governance services, explained that the city reviews its tribunal fee structure periodically to balance budget support with user fees. "The fee review is really just to make sure we have an opportunity to be thoughtful about looking at the fee amounts, making sure they’re affordable for Calgarians on one hand, but on the other hand, ensuring increases in input costs driven by inflation are also factored into that balancing exercise," he said in an interview.
Inflation and cost considerations
The administrative fees for these boards have not changed since 2021, though the city's report notes inflation has risen by 26% since the last tribunal fee review in 2019. Fraser noted that the total cost to operate the boards can vary significantly depending on the number of complaints and appeals processed annually, but overall costs and resources required have increased due to inflation.
Both tribunals operate independently and are composed of citizens with subject-matter expertise appointed directly by council. The proposed fee adjustments aim to ensure the boards remain financially sustainable while keeping fees reasonable for residents.
