THUNDER BAY – A prominent waterfront hotel is front and centre on the city's $4.3-million list of properties with tax arrears dating back two years or more.
The Delta Marriott Waterfront hotel is on the hook for $865,277 and has not fully paid its tax bill since at least 2019.
The hotel has been hard hit by COVID-19, closing its doors for several months last year as occupancy rates tumbled because of a drop in tourism.
It's not the only high-profile property in arrears.
The owner of the building that houses Kangas Sauna, located at 379 Oliver Road, owes the city $35,875, while the owner of the building the houses Arnone Transport at 300 South Water Street, is listed as owing the city $64,651.
Second on the list of non-residential property taxes owed to the city includes the former Cascades Fine Papers site at 550 Shipyard Road, which has an outstanding tax bill of $852,440. The mill was demolished in 2015.
Dating back to 2012, the City of Thunder Bay has collected most of the $22.6 million combined in outstanding balances before having to resort to further measures.
The $4.3 million approved for registration for the arrears year of 2019 represents two per cent of the tax levy and is nearly $1.9 million more than is owed from 2018. No other year since 2012 topped $2.6 million.
Non-residential properties on the list total $2.4 million in arrears for 2019, while residential property owners owe $1.9 million.
If a property is in arrears for two years or more, the city may register a tax arrears certificate against the title to the land to begin the municipal tax sale process. The owner then has one year to pay the outstanding tax amount in full or work out an extension agreement with the city.
If neither option is achieved, the city can put the property up for sale.
Correction: The city has clarified that it is not still owed $22.6 million in outstanding property taxes, but instead the figure is a snapshot of what it was owed at the time. Much of the money has since been collected.
