Tashi Farmilo
Published in the Pontiac Journal on April 8, 2026.
MRC PONTIAC – Five municipalities in MRC Pontiac will undergo a rebalancing of their property assessment rolls ahead of the 2027–2029 cycle, after an appraiser from the Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM) determined that assessed values have fallen significantly out of step with market prices.
At the March 19 Council of Mayors meeting at MRC headquarters, council moved forward with the recommendation, citing significant discrepancies between assessed values and sale prices in Shawville, Clarendon, L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet, Bristol and Mansfield-et-Pontefract. Each municipality has passed a resolution in support of the measure.
Property assessments determine how much tax residents pay, making accuracy critical. Every property in Quebec is assigned an assessed value recorded on the assessment roll, which is used to calculate property taxes. When those values no longer reflect what properties would actually sell for, the taxes levied may not align with market reality, and some owners can end up paying more or less than their fair share.
That appears to be the situation in parts of the Pontiac. Éric Rochon, director general of Mansfield, said properties in his municipality are generally selling above their assessed value — a trend he described as common across rural Pontiac and one that has become more pronounced with recent shifts in the real estate market. He also noted that conditions vary depending on location, property type and timing of the sale.
The rebalancing was recommended by Carl Provencher, É.A., the signing appraiser designated under the Act respecting municipal taxation for the Pontiac. The FQM holds the mandate from the MRC to carry out property assessment work, including the re-balancing of assessments, alongside the MRC’s internal team.
Marie-Ève Dion, the FQM’s media and public relations advisor, said Provencher based his recommendation on methodology standardized by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the Ordre of Chartered Appraisers of Quebec. This relies on two key indicators: the median ratio between assessed and market values, and the dispersion of assessments across the roll, which measures how consistently assessed values reflect market conditions across property types and areas.
The process involves reassessing every property in the affected municipalities based on what Dion described as “the most probable sale price that could be obtained for a property if it were put up for sale” under prevailing market conditions. For the 2027–2029 roll, the reference date is July 1, 2025 — 18 months before the new roll comes into force. Appraisers will use the cost, comparison and income methods to determine values — comparing similar sales, estimating replacement costs and assessing potential income from a property. The current roll expires December 31, 2026, with the new roll to be filed in fall 2026.
Rochon said the decision to act now reflects both legal requirements and a desire to prevent disparities from growing. “The rebalancing is intended to ensure fairness among taxpayers, not to increase municipal revenues,”
he said.
A rebalancing does not automatically result in higher taxes.
Municipal councils set tax rates each year independently of the assessment roll and can lower the rate to offset increases in assessed values. “An increase in value does not necessarily mean an increase in taxes,” Rochon said, “as the council can adjust the rate to maintain fiscal balance.”
Residents will have access to their new assessments once the roll is filed and will retain the right to contest any valuation they believe to be inaccurate. Rochon said the municipality plans to keep the public informed as the MRC advances through the process.
In response to a request for comment, Tim Ferrigan, director of the assessment department at the MRC, said he would need more time to provide information.
