HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-11-23, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017. PAGE 9.
Huron County to cut vacant unit rebate program
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Huron County Council has
approved a three-year plan to phase
out the vacant unit rebate program in
the county.
Treasurer Michael Blumhagen
spoke to the issue at council's Nov.
15 committee of the whole meeting,
saying that several neighbouring
municipalities and towns have either
eliminated the program or are
working towards it.
Essex County has already
eliminated it, while Chatham -Kent
and St. Marys are phasing it out in
the coming years. A number of other
areas, including London, St.
Thomas, Windsor, Lambton County,
Waterloo Region, Oxford County,
Guelph, Stratford and Elgin County,
are all considering phasing out the
program completely.
The program applies to some
commercial or industrial property
that is partially or entirely vacant. If
the building qualifies, the owner
may be eligible for a partial rebate of
provincial land tax and education tax
for the period of the vacancy.
"Feedback from property owners
was limited to a few responses and
the comments received were not
supportive of the initiative,"
Blumhagen said in his report.
"Concerns being expressed focused
on the difficult economic conditions
being faced in our small, rural
communities. The overall feedback
from various business associations
was more supportive of the initiative,
but felt it was important to roll the
savings/revenue retention from the
elimination of the tax rebate into
incentive programs for local
businesses."
Several councillors said they felt
The giving season
Students from North Woods Elementary School have been in a giving mood in recent months
and put their time and effort towards Operation Christmas Child, an initiative that collects shoe
boxes full of school supplies, clothing and toiletries in North America and sends them to Third -
World nations. Nadine Hanna's Grade 1 class and Carolyn Murray's Grade 1/2 class
spearheaded the project, but donations were received from all of the school, meaning that the
community is to be thanked for its effort in filling 36 boxes. Here, students from both classes
pose with their charitable offerings. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Huron paramedic recognized
Quite an honour
Huron County paramedic Tony Southwell received his first
bar for the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service
Medal last month. Southwell was presented with the honour
by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
(Photo submitted)
In a ceremony at Queen's Park last
month, The Honourable Elizabeth
Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor
of Ontario presented Tony Southwell
from Huron County Paramedic
Services with his first bar for the
Emergency Medical Services
Exemplary Service Medal. Jeff
Horseman, Chief of Huron County
Paramedic Services, was also in
attendance.
These bars are presented to
paramedics who have served for at
least 30 years (first bar), or 40 years
(second bar), in a meritorious
manner, characterized by the highest
standards of good conduct, industry
and efficiency. To qualify, at least 10
of these years of service must have
been street level (or air) duty
involving potential risk to the
individual.
Thirty-eight Ontario Paramedics
who have provided pre -hospital
emergency medical services to the
public in an exemplary manner were
honoured at this ceremony. A total
of 55 individuals received this
honour in 2017.
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The
Citizen
that the program should be
discontinued in order to encourage
those who own buildings in rural
communities to improve them and
rent them to prospective business
owners. If there is a financial
incentive to keeping them vacant,
some councillors said, absent
landlords would have no reason to
fix up their properties and improve
those communities.
Blumhagen said that a working
group comprised of representatives
from local business improvements
areas and business groups
were largely supportive of
the phase out, while property owners
were not.
"The working group is
recommending that the vacant unit
rebate be phased out over a three-
year period, beginning with rebate
applications in 2019," Blumhagen
said in his report. "2019 rebate
applications will relate to any
vacancies that may have occurred in
the 2018 tax year. There would be a
one-third reduction each year with
the rebate completely eliminated for
any applications in 2021 relating to
the 2020 tax year vacancies"
Blumhagen said that the municipal
cost for the program can be
significant, depending on the
community.
"The current overall municipal
cost, including both the county and
local portion of the vacant unit
rebate, is approximately $130,000,"
Blumhagen said in his report. "For
some local municipalities the cost is
significant. In addition to the actual
cost of the rebate is the local
municipal staff resources required to
manage this program. Ongoing
commercial and industrial
reassessments will have an impact
on the value of the total rebate across
the county."
Council voted to phase out the
program according to Blumhagen's
proposed schedule.
County to direct
IPM funds, signs
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Huron County Warden Jim Ginn
says that the International Plowing
Match (IPM) committee is now
working towards donating the
proceeds from last September's
match.
Ginn spoke to Huron County
Council at its Nov. 15 committee of
the whole meeting, saying that
members of the executive were
asking for some advice as to where
to direct the funds.
He also said that the executive was
looking for direction on where to
place one half of the IPM sign, now
that the match is over.
There were two signs erected at
the IPM site one year ahead of the
match and they stayed on the home
farm of Jack Ryan throughout the
match. One will stay on the farm
and the executive hoped to place the
other somewhere else in Huron
County (after it was stolen, but then
returned again, that is).
Ginn said he felt it would be
appropriate that the sign be placed
on the land near the Walton
Community Hall, but that it would
be up to council.
Staff will prepare a report on both
and present them to council,
providing insight and guidance on
both decisions.
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