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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2008-10-09, Page 25Huron County property taxpayerswill see an average assessmentincrease of five per cent in 2009 asresult of the four-year phase-in ofassessment increases introduced bythe provincial government.“Residential property values in the county have increased by approximately 21.5 per cent since 2005, when the last assessment update was done. Because of the four-year phase-in introduced by the provincial government, property taxpayers here will see an average assessment increase of 5 per cent next year,” said Chuck Egener, municipal relations representative in the Goderich office of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). An increase in assessment doesnot necessarily mean an increase inproperty taxes. If the assessed valueof a home has increased by the samepercentage as the average in themunicipality, there might be noincrease in the property taxes paid by a property owner. Since 2005, waterfront property in the county has increased in value by approximately 31.8 per cent. Because of the four-year phase-in, property taxpayers will see an average increase of 7.9 per cent. Since 2005, farmland for farming purposes in the county has increased in value by approximately 3.7 per cent, which will also be phased-in over four years. The phase-in program does not apply to decreases in assessed value.The full amount of a decrease will beapplied during the 2009 tax year. “Our values are based on actualselling prices and reflect the localreal estate market,” Egener said. “We have seen selling prices for homes and farmland increase over the past three years and our values show that.” Municipalities establish tax rates that are applied to assessed values to pay for local services, and the provincial government sets rates for the education portion of the tax. Property assessment notices have now been mailed to more than 62,000 property owners in the Counties of Huron and Perth. “We have made a number ofchanges to improve customer serviceand provide property taxpayers withmore information that they can useto decide if their assessed value isaccurate,” Egener said.The changes include redesigning the property assessment notice to make it easier to read and new services on the website that make it easier for people to compare properties and decide if their assessment is correct. “Our role is to assess property accurately. We strive for accuracy but when assessing nearly 4.7 million properties across Ontario, mistakes can be made. If a property taxpayer believes an error has been made and that his or her property would not have sold for itsassessed value on Jan. 1, 2008, wewant them to call us or visit ourGoderich office. We’ll explain howwe arrived at the assessment and, ifit’s wrong, we’ll fix it,” Egener said. Hours at the Goderich office will be extended from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday through Oct. 17 to respond to local taxpayers’ questions. The regular hours at the Goderich office are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Property taxpayers can also call the Customer Contact Centre at 1- 866-296-6722 (MPAC) or visit the MPAC website at www.mpac.ca for more information. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008. PAGE 25. At their Sept. 23 meeting, Morris- Turnberry councillors decided they wanted some input in the accommodation review process involving two area schools. Council appointed councillor Mark Beaven to represent them in discussions concerning East Wawanosh Public School in Belgrave while deputy-mayor Jim Nelemans will take part in Turnberry Central School discussions. *** Council will look at the possibility of hiring a vacuum truck to pick up leaves this fall following complaints from ratepayers who don’t want to buy garbage bag tags to dispose of yard waste. Nancy Michie, administrator clerk-treasurer, told council it would cost $750 a day to have Bluewater Recycling do an extra pick up of yard waste on a day other than regular garbage day. That’s when councillors decided to explore the cost of a vacuum truck. *** Council received a delegation including Don Morrison, John Freiberger and Brent Boyer asking that the Turnberry-Culross Road be rebuilt and have tar and chip surfacing applied. Morrison pointed out that South Bruce would pay half the cost of the project. “There are a lot of taxes off that mile and a quarter”, he reminded councillors. Council will seek a meeting with South Bruce in October to see if the two can agree on a timetable for the project. It is not currently on Morris- Turnberry’s planning schedule, explained Barry O’Krafka, public works co-ordinator. *** Construction in Morris-Turnberry in 2008 is very close to the same level as last year, according to chief building official Steve Fortier. Fortier told council that permits totalling nearly $1.1 million were issued in August, bringing the yearly total to date to $4.7 million. Councillors complained about houses in Bluevale that have been unfinished for several years. Fortier said there’s a provision that if a house isn’t finished within a year council can cancel the building permit but he had been informed by a lawyer that this was very difficult to enforce. *** Council had a 40-minute closed session at the end of the council meeting. Taxpayers see 5% increase in assessment Morris-Turnberry council briefs Beaven to represent council at ARC meeting Business Directory Offering a full range of services: auditing, accounting, business planning, income tax planning, personal financial planning, computer and management services. BDO Dunwoody, LLP Chartered Accountants and Advisors Alan P. Reed, CA P.O. 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