TBDURA                                                 

THUNDER BAY DISTRICT UNINCORPORATED RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION

 

July 7, 2008

 

Ontario Ministry of Finance

7 Queen’s Park Cres.

7th. Floor Building

Toronto, ON

M7A 1Y7

 

Attention: The Honourable Dwight Duncan

                 Minister of Finance

 

Dear Minister;

 

Thunder Bay District Unincorporated Ratepayers Association (TBDURA) represents the 40,000 members of Service and Roads Boards and Cottage Associations located in the unincorporated/unorganized townships in the Thunder Bay District of Northern Ontario.

 

In 2009 your government will implement the Ontario Land Tax Reform for unincorporated territory properties. TBRURA agrees with your efforts to bring “uniformity and fairness to the property tax system across Ontario” but we do not believe that the proposed land tax is fair and equitable.

 

Over the past four years our member organizations have tried to gain information and input into this upcoming tax. We are very disappointed that we have been unable to have meaningful, clear and concise dialog with the Ministry of Finance.

Here is an example of our concerns and questions that we would like answered.

  1. How much is the tax levy going to be and under what rules will it be implemented?
  2. Where will these tax dollars be used and what additional services will we receive?
  3. How will this tax affect other taxes that we presently pay?

 

Property owners in the North are unique in the variety of situations

·        Some property owners receive little or no services and make no demands.

·        Some ratepayers pay service and roads board’s fees.

·        Some donate money to volunteer fire departments and pay user fees for

      services like landfills and libraries.

·        Some areas with no access to schools and in fact no demand for school

      services are paying high education taxes.

·        Although we pay a separate land tax now there is a land tax included in the education tax while other areas pay nothing.

 

TBDURA Cont…                                                                               page 2 of 3

 

Another round of consultation meeting has been promised in the fall of this year but with the tax being implemented 3 to 4 months later it is hard to believe this will be nothing more than lip service.

 

Your Ministry has stated that the first notice of assessment from MPAC will be sent to property owners in December 2008 and the tax will be implemented in January of 2009. This will give us no time to review or appeal.

 

In our opinion it is unfair to expect tax payers to accept a tax that could potentially cause many property owners to be forced to sell their properties without consultation or providing information.

 

We respectfully recommend that you consider delaying implementation of the legislation until all stakeholders have the opportunity for input through public consultation.

 

 

 

Please Reply to Spokesman

 

 

 

 

___________________________________

Richard Siegfried,

President

Silver Islet Campers’ Association

Thunder Bay, ON

P7B 6H1

Tel. 807 344 – 9881

rsiegfri@shaw.ca

 

 

 

Bruce Turner                                                   Arlene Wiseman

Chairperson                                                    President

East Gorham LSB                                           Arrow Lake Cottagers’ Association

 

Pill Pilot                                                           Bill Venturini

President                                                         President

Northern Lights Roads Board                         English River Campers’ Association

 

Peter Nunan                                                    James Kimberly

President                                                         President

Northern Lights Campers’ Association            Atikokan Campers’ Association

 

TBDURA Cont…                                                                                   Page 3 of 3

 

Robert Parisian                                               Bill Blower

Chairperson                                                    President

Sibley Township Board                                   DOKURA

 

Gilda Dipasquale

President

Shebanowan Campers’ Association

 

For further information please visit www.tbdura.com

 

 

 

cc.

The Honourable Michael Gravelle MPP                 MPP Bill Mauro

Minister of Northern Development and Mines           240 S. Syndicate Ave.

101-215 Van Norman St.                                           Thunder Bay, ON

Thunder Bay, ON                                                       P7E 1C8

P7A 4B6