That arrangement is optional, negotiated with the lender rather than something Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation or the city requires, and a homeowner who declines it pays the City of Saskatoon directly and sees every notice and every bill without anything routed through the mortgage.
Either way, the underlying number is the same: 80 percent of the assessed value at that year's mill rate, and a lender collecting the payment does not change the assessment or give the homeowner less right to see or dispute it through the Board of Revision.
If you are not sure which arrangement applies to your own mortgage, your lender's annual statement will show whether a tax portion was collected and paid on your behalf.
Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.