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Willow Creek’s council rejected Canadian Natural’s request, arguing other taxpayers have suffered through dramatic declines in their industries and continued to pay their taxes in full.

“We’ve had lots of farmers and ranchers who have gone through BSE (mad cow disease), drought, hail, and not even ask for that,” Reeve Earl Hemmaway said in an interview.

Still, Canadian Natural is not alone in its request for property tax relief. Perpetual Energy Inc., a Calgary-based junior oil and gas company controlled by Clayton Riddell, asked that Athabasca County reduce its tax bill to $1, due to the diminished value of its assets.

The county rejected Perpetual’s request and said it should direct its concerns over the assessed value of its assets to the provincial government.

Similarly, Athabasca County turned down Canadian Natural’s bid for a 30 per cent tax cut.

Canadian Natural said it operates in more than 90 Alberta municipalities and began requesting the tax breaks in areas where the company is paying the most, and where taxes account for a “significant” share of its expenses.

The producer said it has enjoyed some success, citing the Municipal District of Greenview, which cut its industrial mill rate by more than seven per cent in part to “assist industry during these tough economic times.” The district said the cut was made possible by an unexpected increase in assessed property values.

Canadian Natural warned in its letter it has shut in an estimated 1,700 wells and 50 natural gas compressors during the oil rout, with plans to shut in another 600 wells and 20 natural gas compressors by the end of the year.