Series consists of information on property values and taxation rates compiled for the purpose of collecting taxes.
Rolls for 1889-1909 are available on microfilm in the Archives.
Information on the creation, structure, composition, and relations to other records of the Collector's roll is provided below in four sections: context of creation, structure, data elements, and related records.
Context of Creation
Until the establishment of the B.C. Assessment Authority in 1974, assessment and collection of property taxes were the responsibility of the City. Each year the Assessor drew up the assessment roll, sent out notices of assessment to relevant taxpayers, and then forwarded the roll to the City Clerk on behalf of Council. City Council, sitting as the Court of Revision, determined whether revisions to the returned assessment roll were required, made them if necessary, confirmed them, and authenticated the roll. Council then enacted a bylaw for setting yearly tax rates. Following this, the Clerk made out the Collector's roll and forwarded it to the Collector who gathered the taxes, returning his roll to the Clerk when finished, and forwarding the money collected to the Treasurer.
Structure
The series can be divided into 3 categories distinguished by date range, title, and arrangement of entries within volumes: (A) 1889-1906 (68 volumes). City divided into three wards, with entries arranged alphabetically by name within wards; (B) 1907-1909 (12 volumes). Entries arranged alphabetically by name throughout the City; (C) 1910-1916 (38 volumes). City divided into neighbourhoods with entries arranged throughout City by roll number and lot number within neighbourhoods (such as City Lots, Five Acre Lots, Fairfield, like many assessment rolls). The ward system was established under the Victoria Incorporation Act (1862), and consisted of three wards called, respectively, the Johnson Street Ward, the Yates Street Ward, and the James Bay Ward. For information on the ward system from 1889-1891, see the Clippings Files under "Municipal Government - Ward System" and bylaw 84 (Wards Bylaw, 1890); for 1892-1906, see bylaw 163 (Wards Bylaw, 1892; map located at Maps B0051) and bylaw 336 (Wards Bylaw, 1901; repealed under bylaw 481).
Data Elements: 1889, 1904, and 1916 rolls.
1889 roll
Title: Real estate assessment collector's roll
. . . . Elements:
. . . . - No. of lot
. . . . - Block
. . . . - Street
. . . . - Name
. . . . - Assessment land
. . . . - Assessment improvements
. . . . - Alteration by Court of Revision
. . . . - Total
. . . . - Arrears
. . . . - Tax
. . . . - No. of receipt
. . . . - Amount paid
. . . . - Arrears
. . . . - Date notice sent
. . . . - Remarks
. . . . 1904 roll
Title: Land and improvement assessment: Collector's roll, 1904
. . . . Elements:
. . . . - Name
. . . . - Street
. . . . - Subdivision
. . . . - Lot
. . . . - Block
. . . . - Section
. . . . - Assessment on land
. . . . - Assessment on improvements
. . . . - General rates
. . . . . . Tax on land
. . . . . . Tax on 50% assessed value of improvements
. . . . - Board of Health special rate [9 mills]
. . . . - Educational purposes special rate [1 mill]
. . . . - Debt purposes special rate [2 mills]
. . . . - Total tax [12 mills]
. . . . - Tax if paid on or before 31 October 1904
. . . . - 1st January 1904 arrears general rates
. . . . - 1st January 1904 arrears Board of Health
. . . . - 1st January 1904 arrears educational purposes
. . . . - 1st January 1904 arrears debt
. . - Amount paid
. . . . - No. of receipt
. . . . - 1st January 1905 arrears general rates
. . . . - 1st January 1905 arrears Board of Health
. . . . - 1st January 1905 arrears educational purposes
. . . . - 1st January 1905 arrears debt
1916 roll, book 3
Title: Collector's roll [for the year xxxx] of taxes and other charges assessed and charged against real property (not including assessments for local improvement)
Elements (sub-elements are indicated by indentation):
. . . . - Roll #
. . . . - Registered owner
. . . . . . Name
. . . . . . Address
. . . . - Holder of agreement to purchase or last assignee thereof
. . . . . . Name
. . . . . . Address
. . . . - Street
. . . . - Dimensions
. . . . - Real property description
. . . . . . Subdivision lot
. . . . . . Lot
. . . . . . Block
. . . . . . Map #
. . . . - Assessed value of land
. . . . - Taxes on assessed value of land
. . . . . . General, Board of Health, and Hospital
. . . . . . . . Mills - Gross
. . . . . . . . Net if paid by [date]
. . . . . . Interest, sinking fund, and school purposes
. . . . . . . . Mills - Net
. . . . - Water frontage tax (net)
. . . . - Boulevard upkeep tax (net)
. . . . - Cluster lighting maintenance (net)
. . . . - Sewer rental (net)
. . . . - Sewer construction tax (net)
. . . . - Total of all preceeding taxes and charges (net)
. . . . - Arrears from [year previous] roll
. . . . . . Year
. . . . . . Amount
. . - Payments
. . . . . . Amount
. . . . . . Receipt
. . . . - Balancing
. . . . . . Rebate added
. . . . . . Excess payments
. . . . - Arrears [1st January of year following]
. . . . . . Year
. . . . . . Amount
. . . . - Payment on arrears
. . . . . . Amount
. . . . . . Receipt
. . . . - Local improvements
Related Series
>From 1917 onward, the Assessor's and Collector's rolls were combined into a single series. Although the information gathered changes slightly from year to year for both assessment and collection rolls, both rolls capture essentially the same data in any given year. However, because of the different purposes of the two rolls, they do not simply duplicate one another. For example, the Collector's rolls include specific information on taxes levied and collected each year, while the assessment rolls include annotations pertaining to land transfers not found in the Collector's rolls. As well, the data elements within these two series are arranged in different manners at different times. For instance, from 1889 to 1909 the Collector's entries are alphabetical by name whereas the assessment entries are by lot number