To
beaver@bellnet.ca
BCC
shaunelucas@gmail.com Shaune
Lucas callch@sympatico.ca
February 23 at 9:27 AM
Mr.
Holmes' letter cannot be allowed to go unanswered.
No
one likes paying taxes. All of us would love to shift them to someone else.
However, the tax system we have requires that taxes be based on property
values.
Assessments
are set by MPAC and already reflect the municipal services supplied to each
property. Anyone who feels he is paying too much has the right to appeal his
assessment. No one should ask Council to second guess MPAC and do the
impossible task of deciding how much benefit each ratepayer receives for what
he pays.
Provincial
law requires that municipalities impose the same mill rate across the whole
area except for very specific cases where a special service is provided in a
clearly defined area and at a cost that is specified. In
The
tax system we have is unique and it is a poorly kept secret at Town Hall that
it is illegal.
Shortly
after amalgamation, rural residents lobbied aggressively and on one occasion,
their tractors circled Town Hall during a crucial vote. To preserve a fragile
union, a concession was made. For 15 years, the rest of us have paid an
extra 32% for something that has never been identified. No one remembers how
that number was arrived at.
A lot
has changed since amalgamation. The farmers, who complained 15 years ago,
receive a 75% rebate on their taxes. Today, it is the owners of large, estate,
properties that claim to be aggrieved.
Ironically,
the major beneficiaries of our outdated tax policy are the large rural
industries such as OPG which also receives a 32% discount.
The
tired argument that rural taxpayers receive less value for their tax dollars is
full of holes. Residents of urban Napanee already pay
all capital and operating expenses of the water-sewer system separate from
taxes. And while urban Napanee has certain services
such as sidewalks and street lighting which are not available elsewhere, these
services are one of many factors that MPAC uses to establish assessed value.
The
level of policing does not change at Vanluven Road.
Everyone benefits when an impaired driver is arrested regardless of where
the arrest takes place. All of us have access to and use the entire road system
not just the stretch in front of our homes.
Nobody
likes paying taxes. But what is even worse is a tax system that is seen as
unfair. And our system is horribly out of line with the rest of
This
issue has been festering for years. The rural-urban divide has been a bitter
irritant in almost everything council tries to do. Minor issues often lead to
bickering, dithering and expensive studies with a loss in the quality of our
governance and a great deal of waste.
We
have seven very capable people on Council including two fresh faces.
The
rural ratepayers would do themselves and the rest of our Town a great service
if they stopped bullying our elected councilors and
let them do their jobs. When Council deals with this very difficult issue as
required by law I fully expect them to tackle the many tasks ahead as a more
cohesive group, working together for he good of all.
Hubert Hogle