HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-03-12, Page 11THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1986. PAGE 11.
East Wawanosh will look at reassessment
BY GARY WALDEN
John Garrett of the Huron-Perth
Regional Assessment Office was
present at the March meeting of
East Wawanosh council March 4.
to discuss assessment of the
properties in East Wawanosh.
50 attend Brussels meeting
to study Morris draft plan
BY DOROTHY FOXTON
Fifty people attended a public
meeting to study the Morris
township plan March 4 at the
Brussels, Morris and Grey Com
munity Centre.
Huron County Planner Wayne
Caldwell was present toexplain the
proposed plan to the public. With
him was student planner Scott
Tousaw and Warden Leona Arm
strong and Reeve Lionel Wilder of
Hay township, representing the
county planning committee.
Mr. Caldwell said that over the
past year there had been many
public “line meetings’’ and work
shops to set up the plan and that
this viewing of the plan was
required under the Planning act
before it could be passed. The basic
principal of the plan is to ensure the
continuance of agriculture as the
long term future of the townships.
With agriculture as the highest
priority, future farmers will have
the flexibility of changing from one
type of farming to another if the
market is changing.
The plan hopes to protect soils
and prevent fragmentation and to
retain existing woodlots to reduce
wind erosion and flooding. There
The last assessment was done in
1975 and since then there has been
a shift in value of properties. The
whole idea behind reassessment,
he said, is to try to equalize the
taxes paid. Municipalities should-
not go too long between reassess
seemed to be some bad feelings
about severences because if a
farmer has 150 acres and buys
another 100 acres from his neigh
bour itautomaticallybecomes a
250 acre parcel and cannot be sold
separately.
Urban areas in the plan are
Bluevale, Walton, Belgrave and
some parts of Brussels. The plan
hopes to promote residential and
commercial points in these areas
but to compact development to
protect agriculture.
Sue Gowing of Brussels asked
why the forests had to be designat
ed when they were covered under
the Huron County tree-cutting
bylaw. Mr. Caldwell said that the
wetland areas are not valued by the
bylaw and seem to be a concern to
the people.
Glenn Warwick of Bluevale
wanted to know if a farm building
was left vacant could it be brought
back to working capacity. The
Planner said as long as it is in a
restricted agriculture area it can. If
it is in an urban area and has been
vacant for two or more years it can
not be reopened. Concern was
expressed atthe Plan not including
building permits and an inspector
to keep people from building a
ment or else the value of properties
gets out ofline with each other. The
baseyearfor the reassessment will
be on property values in 1984.
The reassessment will put more
value on the land and less on the
buildings of a farm, since recently
house too close to a neighbour’s
barn. Reeve Fraserwas asked if the
new Secondary Plan could be
passed without a building inspec-
or. He said that council hadn’t
thought much about it. Mr.
Caldwell said there was a policy in
the plan to add an inspector further
down the road.
Reeve Lionel Wilder said that
Hay township has had its plan in
effect for the past six or seven years
and would definitely not be without
it but that council would be well
advised to have a building bylaw.
One concerned citizen wanted to
know how much this new plan was
going to increase taxes. The
planner said he couldn’t see any
way thatitwould increase taxes
because the township pays into the
county planning department and
should receive a levy to cover costs.
Councillor Howie Morton asked
if the plan had to be changed in two
years down the road would it not
costalotforlegalfees. The planner
said this also comes out of the
planning levy.
At the close of the meeting
Reeve Fraser thanked everyone for
such a good turnout and asked that
any further questions be brought to
council.
buyers have been paying very little
or nothing for any buildings. This is
a shift from the way farms were
valued in 1975. Any fluctuations in
the value of properties from 1984
won’t really matter as the revenue
from taxes remains constant, the
only difference will be the ratio of
the property to its assessment.
This ratio will then be applied to the
1975 base value to get the new
valuesfor 1984. In most cases there
probably won’t be much if any
change, heexplained. However
vacant land and lots will likely
increase to reflect their increased
value. Also, any improvement on
land that isn’t being assessed now
will be included in the new
assessment.
Mr. Garrett stressed that the
reassessment wouldn’t get rid of
all the inequities between different
types of properties i.e. farmland
verses industrial properties in the
township but that it should equal
ize the values of each property
within a similar market (farm
verses farm) so that everyone is
paying his fair share in taxes,
within his market.
A recommendation was made by
Fred Meier to have an impact study
done on East Wawanosh by the
assessment office to see what the
new figures under reassessment
would look like. Council agreed
and the motion was passed. If,
after seeing the impact study,
council agrees to go with reassess
ment the new taxes will be in place
for the 1987 fiscal year.
TOWNSHIP RECORDS SURPLUS
On February 26, 1985, the
Financial Statement for the town
ship of East Wawanosh was
presented to council by Nancy
Excel of Spire & MacGillvray in
Listowel.
East Wawanosh ended the 1985
fiscal year in a strong financial
prosition with a surplus figure of
$28,555 of which $4,710 was
credited as surplus to the Belgrave
Community Centre Board.
The surplus was due mainly to
lessborrowing than in previous
years, resulting in higher interest
revenues and a subsidy received
for repairs and preliminary plann
ing for the 10th line bridge.
The Township ends the 1985
fiscal year with reserves of
$143,000.00.
Tile drain applications by Ralph
Caldwell, Gordon Caldwell and
Leslie Caldwell were presented to
council requesting subsidies undei
he drainage programs and were
acceptedby council. A building
permit by Barry Mason for a cattle
shed was approved.
In discussions regarding fire
protection for the township it was
noted that the Wingham Fire
Department charges the township
$650 per hour for each call, while
the Blyth Fire Department charges
only $250 perhourfor each call.
Reeve Snell wanted to know why
there was such a difference in costs
and suggested the council look into
having the Blyth Fire Department
called whenever possible and to
have their territory come further
north.
Also there was a brief discussion
about organizing an Emergency
Committee to look after any
disasters (i.e. tornadoes, large
chemcial spills), in the township.
As it stands now, the township
would be totally responsible for
any liabilities caused by a disaster
but if they form an Emergency
Committee, the township would
receive help regarding any liabili
ties.