December 09, 2005 - Glebe Report

3 Glebe Report December 9, 2005 NEWS
Tax assessment cont'd from page 1
BY JOHN SMART
Historian John Taylor compared the present tax collection system in Ottawa
with 19th-century practices when an Ottawa tax assessor's income depended
partly on how high he set assessments. Taylor believes that taxes based on
property values are always regressive and that such systems need serious modification
by politicians if they are not to be unfair. He picked pensioners as a
group likely to be harmed by an unmodified property tax system.
Councillor Doucet applauded the provincial ombudsman's decision to review
the system and pointed out the system's adverse effects on Capital Ward
taxpayers, who have endured high tax increases from the city, while suburban
wards have avoided increases or even had decreases in their city taxes in recent
years. At present, the older parts of the city are paying for new roads and
other services in the suburbs and newer portions of the amalgamated city.
(Eighty percent of the audience raised their hands when asked if they had received
assessment increases greater than 25 per cent in November 2005.)
Councillor Doucet suggested that a system in which assessments were based
on the original purchase price, plus annual increases in value based on the
Consumer Price Index, would be preferable and fairer in the long run.
An hour of questions and comments from the audience followed the panel.
A number of people complained they'd had inaccurate MPAC assessments reduced
in the past, only to have MPAC re-assert the original high assessment
in the next cycle. Marcel Clement said that MPAC's intention was always to
have the most accurate assessment for each property in its database, but that a
lowered assessment was never frozen and would be altered as market values
changed. In answer to another question, Clement said that MPAC currently
had on hand 2,500 requests for reconsideration of November 2005 assessments
from Ottawa property-owners, but hoped to have them all processed by
the end of March 2006. Property-owners unhappy with their assessments
could obtain comparisons with 12 other properties in the city.
More than one person questioned the whole idea of using property value assessments
to determine municipal taxes. It was claimed that the system divorces
the cost of services from the taxes paid and gives municipal councils
little incentive to be prudent in setting taxes. As long as property values as determined
by MPAC continue to rise, the city can be confident that its revenues
will rise. An Ottawa East resident said that city councils across Ontario should
object more strongly to the MPAC system and to the provincial legislation behind
it.
Forms to request reviews of MPAC assessments were available at the meeting
and 100 audience members took forms home with them. If they use them,
they will be part of what seems to be a growing movement of people looking
for ways to lower the impact of the present system on their finances. People at
the meeting said they weren't opposed to paying their fair share of Ottawa municipal
taxes, but they doubted that the MPAC system currently contributed to
a fair tax system in Ontario.
Photo: Suzanne Landis
Brown's Inlet update
The Brown's Inlet meeting on December 6, 2005 had not talcen place at the
time of printing. Please see the January 20, 2006 issue for details about this
community meeting.
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