TNRD informed BC Assessment Proposed Valuation Changes for Pipelines Will Not Proceed

Courtesy of the Thompson Nicola Regional District:

Editor's Note: the Cariboo Regional District received similar news on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has been informed that, after further consideration, BC Assessment decided to not proceed with previously-planned changes to the valuation of “Gathering and Transmission Pipelines” for 2026.

BC Local Governments' were informed in September of the proposed change to how BC Assessment values pipelines. After being notified of this proposed change, TNRD Finance staff proactively prepared preliminary and detailed information for the TNRD Board on the significant negative impacts these changes would cause for taxpaying residents in many areas. After receiving this information, the (TNRD) Board advocated to BC Premier David Eby, the BC Ministry of Finance, and BC Assessment for this change to be postponed.

The proposed change by BC Assessment would have decreased pipeline tax values by between 23-30% next year, which would have shifted a significant amount of annual TNRD property taxes from pipeline companies onto residential and business properties. Today, BC Assessment provided notice that pipeline tax values within TNRD boundaries will instead be increasing by approximately 7% in 2026.

“The announcement that the regulated rates valuation model for pipelines will not change for the upcoming 2026 Assessment Roll Year is very good news for the many regional districts and municipalities that were dealing with the impacts of the proposed changes,” said TNRD Board Chair Barbara Roden. “It’s especially good news for other property classes – particularly residential and business – which would have had to shoulder the burden of the proposed changes. The TNRD would have seen residents and businesses have to make up $1 million in lost pipeline revenue through increased taxation if the change had gone through.

“The TNRD was one of the first BC Local Governments to realize the implications of the proposed changes, and has been leading the way in advocating for these changes to be postponed. We are grateful that our suggestions have been listened to, and thank BC Assessment and the Province of BC for this decision. We look forward to working with BC Assessment and the Province to ensure that any future changes are done with fairness and transparency.”