Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-02-08, Page 8Page 8-- Lucknow Sentinel, Wedneoday, Feb. 8, 1978 Property Tax Reform "politically sensitive" MPP Jack Riddell (Huron -Mid- dlesex) called' the Property Tax Reform proposal a "politically sensitive topic'.' at the annual Meet the MPs dinner held by The Huron Federation of Agriculture in Clinton on Saturday. MPP Murray Gaunt (Huron - Bruce) and MPP Riddell met with about 40 federation members, . township reeves and representa tives of commodity groups to discuss views on agriculture in this province. " Gaunt said that there are definite inequities ,in. the present system and that a new system must be phased in. He said that - he is in agreement with Ontario Treasurer Darcy McKeough's proposal that farm land and farm buildings be assessed and the government will pay the individ- ual farmers' taxes making farm land non-taxable: Riddell said the real concern is establishing market value assess- ment because the McKeough proposal.is to base assessment of land and buildings --t-= market value. He • said farmers aren't happy with McKeough's propos- al. Gaunt told the Huron Federa- tion that if the assessment is based on market value that market value will be real, estate value, What a willing buyer will pay to a willing seller, not materials plus labour value. If the province were to switch to materials `and labour value asses- sment it would have to change the whole process. The Huron .Federation, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture want the assessment of farm land and farm buildings to be based on productive value and the govern- ment to give a grant to the municipality in lieu of the taxes which would be 'collected on farm property in the municipality. The government bas proposed to assess the farm land and farm buildings on market value and pay the individual tax bill of the farmer. "Farmers in Ontario do not want the urban people of the province to think that the government is paying their tax- , es," said Maurice Bean, OFA director. "A grant to the municip- ality would -, be a preferable alternative to the government paying an individual farmer's tax bill. Huron farmers take position reluctantly on Tax Reform The Huron Fede`tation OT Agri- culture emphasized in a brief on Property Tax Reform presented to MPPs Murray Gaunt (Huron - Bruce) and Jack Riddell (Huron- s esex) that they have taken 'a second position on Property` Tax Reform reluctantly. For about ten years, the Ontario Federation of Agricul- tiell By Carhartt "Foxy" Jeans- NOW IN STOCK Great fit for the girls Winter Stock REDUCED TO CLEAR Char -Man's Work CI.OthI.ng LUCKNOW PRONE 528-2526 OPEN SIX DAYS AWEEK 9 A.M. 6 P.M. Beltone Hearing Clinic will start Feb. 20, 1978 and every third Monday of the month, FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 12:30 P.M. At Canadian Legion Hall, Lucknow Cleaning and adjustments to most mattes of hearing aids. Hearing tests conducted in your home or our office. JOHN L. DELISLE Hanover, Ontario 364-4169 BAIJAVIN P. COULIS HEARING AID SERVICE 213 Eighth Street East, Owen Sound Telephone 376.9970 • ture, supported by the Huron Federation has stated that land services such as road and ditch maintenance 'should be paid for by property taxes and that people services such as education should be paid for by people in . some form of income tax. Since this principle is not sup- ported by society and the provin- cial government does not see a way to completely over -haul the present tax structure, in. the province at this time the OFA has taken a reluctant second position. OFA has proposed that the 'farm and farm buildings, control- led forest and marshland be assessed on productive value and. be exempt from taxation. The government will then pay `to the municipality unconditional grants equivalent to the amounts the t. would be raised if non-taxable assessment' were taxed. The value of this assessment is then= 'to -be subtracted from the, assessment of . the M entire . farm including the house and not more than one acre of property to arrive at .the assessment of the house and ifs property. OFA has proposed -that the assessment of the house and its property be based on market value and the farmers will pay the tax. The market value is to be defined in the legislation as based on the value of . materials plus labour to build such a house less some form of depreciation and the lot value. If market value is riot materials plus labour, OFA can only deem that it must be the same as the real estate value of severed lots and OFA and the Huron Federation take, exception to this definition of market value. With new County Plans and the upcoming .Supplementary Plans for townships, a severance for a farm residence is virtually impos- sible. A farm house cannot be sold separate from the farm and should not be taxed as severed property. • Under the property tax system now, farmers pay taxes on all land and buildings and • apply for 50 -per -cent rebate from the province. Under the tax reform based on market value, .proposed by -Ontario treasurer Darcy, McKeough, "the provincial gov- ernment would pay an individual farmer's takes on his farm land and farm buildings. OFA and the Huron Federation oppose this proposal because the farmers of this province .do not want the urban residents to think the government is paying their individual taxes. OFA wants the government to pay .a grant to the Merle Gunby, R. R. 1 Dungannon presents a brief on Pollution, Erosion and Conservation to the Meet the MPs dinner sponsored by the Huron Federation of Agriculture in Clinton on Saturday. Gunby said that much of the pollution of the Great Lakes caused by land use activities can be contributed to city runoffs, storm sewers, stream and lake bank erosions. It is debateable he said whether the nitrate pollutant from fertilizers is the major source of the problem and he does not think farmers should have to take the blame for all of the polution problem in the Great Lakes. . t Farmers not source... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The disposal of sewage, either directly or from lagoons, into our lakes is a shortsighted, wasteful' practice noted Gunby. "We urge that a major research project be instituted with its goal to reclaim and purify sewage so it can be safely used as a fertilizer," Research is also needed to develop new crops and cropping practices suitable for Ontario growing conditions said Gunby in his brief. Maybe if sufficient research funds are made avail- able the scientists could develop a erennial barley, corn or soy bean plant; - which would eliminate intensive cultivation. This would not only reduce soil erosion, but it _would greatly save on energy inputs. In his remarks, Murray Gaunt told the Huron Federation mem- bers, township reeves, and rep- resentatives of commodity groups who attended that by refining new ,.technology •for application to agriculture the farmer's input costs could be reduced and at -the same time the industry could be employing methods of conserva- tion. He suggested that solar and wind energy and soil conservation CONTINUED' ON PAGE 13 Public attitudes study favours energy site along North Channel A third public attitude study of residents along the North Chan- nel of Lake Huron has been completed for Ontario hydro, it was announced recently. The attitude study indicated that 72 per cent of the respond- ents interviewed i0. any area extending from Bruce Mines to Elliot Lake favoured the construc- tion of an energy centre site in their area. In the Espanola -Little Current area, 47 per cent of respondents favoured construc- tion.• The study was conducted by the Research Centre at Sheridan College 'of Applied Arts and Technology at Oakville, during the summer of 1977 to determine public attitudes towards -the possible development of an energy , site along the North Channel of Lake 'pron. Such a site could include a generating station and a heavy water plant, .. similar to them Ontario Hydro Bruce Nuclear Power Develop- ment on the east shore of Lake Huron. Similar attitude studies in ,the Nprth Channel area were on - ducted by' Ontario Hydro in 1974 and 1975. A comparison of the results of the three studies shows that public support has remained at a high level in the Bruce Mines to Elliot Lake Area. Support has declined in the . Espanola -Little Current area. The 1977 report on attitudes will be presented by Ontario Hydro to the Ontario Government in 1978, recommending a site be selected along the North Channel for an energy centre.