One of the questions that needs to be asked about the property assessment scandal is who directed the fast-tracking of the new assessment system?
That from provincial Green Party Leader David Coon, who says that seems to have been at the root of all of this. We asked him how difficult he thinks it will be to actually pinpoint who did this and believes that it’s going to be very straightforward.
“As long as the commissioner has complete access to the minister responsible, to the premier and his office, to the deputy minister or CEO of Service New Brunswick and the director of the assessment branch, that’s pretty much it,” says Coon.
Property tax assessment chain of command is short. Director of Assessments, CEO of Service NB (to Premier, Board of Directors and Minister
— David Coon (@DavidCCoon) April 3, 2017
“Hopefully, the commissioner for the inquiry will also ask questions of some of the board of directors for Service New Brunswick because some of them are senior deputy ministers in the premier’s inner circle and it’s important I think that he talk to all of those people.”
3 our of 5 DMs leading Policy Delivery Units reporting to Premier, plus Clerk of the Executive Council sit on the Board of Service #NB
— David Coon (@DavidCCoon) April 3, 2017
Coon is pleased to see the Gallant government has made the decision to establish a committee of inquiry, which is something that Coon called for on the last day of the sitting in the Legislature before the three week adjournment.
“We require an independant Commission of Inquiry, headed by a headed by a respected New Brunswicker, to develop recommendations that will bring the extensive reforms required to restore fairness to our property tax system,” Coon said in a release posted on his website dated March 31.
