Zurich Citizens News, 1970-10-01, Page 10PAGE TEN
Cool Reception Given to Delegation
Of F of A at County Council Session
John Stafford, president of
the Huron County Federation of
Agriculture, Wroxeter, and
Mason Bailey, vice-president,
Blyth, addressed Huron County
Council Friday morning in God-
erich but didn't gain the support
from the councillors for which
they had hoped.
The two men presented a
brief to council, on behalf of
"Huron County farmers in part-
icular and Ontario farmers in
general" which explained the
Federation's proposal to all Ont-
ario ratepayers, rural and urban,
to withhold education taxes this
fall.
"As you well know, the Fed-
eration has suggested that farm-
ers withhold their education tax
at the end of 1970, if legislation
is not introduced to relieve the
inequities, " said Stafford. "We
can be somewhat troubled by
this action, but so far have not
found any other course drastic
enough to prove to the lawmak-
ers that we will not tolerate the
situation. "
"It's unfortunate that our act-
ion will involve council and may
cause some embarrassment, "
continued Stafford, "Our purp-
ose here is to help you underst-
and our position, and if possible,
to generate some support from
you."
The Federation brief noted
that while farmers pay 12 per-
cent of their income in prop-
erty taxes, the rest of the prov-
ince pays between three and five
percent. Taking professional
people as group, the brief also
stated, they are paying only one
to two percent of their income
in property tax.
"We suggest that all costs of
education be paid by the prov-
ince, " said Stafford. "The loss
of revenue can be recovered
through new tax structure and
transfers to income and corpor-
ation tax."
Allan Campbell, reeve of Mc-
Killop was the first to speak. Be
told the representatives from the
Federation that withholding
taxes this fall was not the best
solution to the problem.
"Why don't they start down in
Toronto and cut down the cost
invoiced and try and relieve the
cost of education? asked Camp-
bell.
Campbell stated that it would
cost $222, 000 to update educ-
ation in McKillop where there ari
presently six one -room schools
in operation.
"We're old fashioned back
there anyway, " continued Camp-
bell. "Why don't they leave
things as they are fora year or
so until we see what happens?"
Warden Roy Westcott, Usborne
said his municipality has bor-
rowed to the limit and would be
in trouble if it had to borrow
much money to pay the education
levy.
"Where do we go from here?"
asked Westcott.
Stafford had no solutions, but
he said it would be foolish to
concede now in this matter.
"We've got them thinking
down there now, " said Stafford.
"If we ride this thing out we may
get some action."
Wilmer Hardy, reeve of Col-
borne, suggested a poll of the
municipalities present to deter-
mine support for the proposal.
"As a farmer I know that the
education tax is a problem, "
insisted Hardy, "but as a munic-
ipal official I also know we're
going to be in real trouble if
people withhold their education
taxes this fall."
"You understand that diter
three years, farmers stand to lose
their farms if the taxes are still
unpaid, " advised Derry Boyle,
reeve of Exeter.
"We're hoping there will be a
concession before then, " ret-
orted Stafford.
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Reeve Ed Oddliefson of Bay-
field said that be transferring
the cost of education to sales
tax or corporation tax it would
increase the burden of day to clay
living costs.
"Where is this spiralling cost
going to end? asked Oddliefson.
Mason Bailey said that the
money not paid out in property
taxes would be spent in Huron
County thus stimulating the
economy here.
Elgin Thompson, Tuckersmitb
reeve, claimed that if the educ-
ation tax was taken off property
and placed on income taxes,
for instance, some farmers would
pay nothing toward education
in Ontario. He said he knew of
a farmer who had over 500 acres
and paid no income tax at all
because "he put everything back
into the business. "
"He must have had a good
bookkeeper, " chided Stafford.
James Hayter asked about a
study being made right now by
the Ontario government concern-
ing farm assessment. Bailey as-
sumed Hayter was referring to
the scheme now in operation in
a township near Brampton where
farm taxes were increased by 18
percent; urban taxes by three per-
cent; and corporation taxes were
lowered. However, it was later
pointed out that this scheme was
devised locally and was not a
direct result of new assessment
methods.
11 ST
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 1970
Bill Elston, Morris, said with-
holding education taxes was a
poor method to use to get things
changed.
"It is not going to get what
we want, " observed Elston.
"Taxes on farms have been very
unfair since high school districts
were first formed, I know of one
farmer who is paying as much
education tax as the whole vil-
lage of Belgrave. What can we
do? I don't know but we must
do something. We've been pres-
sed into bigger and bigger farrns
and the education tax is going
to kill us."
Roy Pattison, East Wawanosh,
said he had completed a study
of education taxes for the past
(continued on page 11)
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