assessment

Friday November 13, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 13, 2020

Don’t give free rein to Ontario’s developers

Doug Ford is moving quickly but quietly to give Ontario’s developers the upper hand over Ontario’s environment.

November 22, 2019

For proof of this ominous change, check out how Premier Ford’s provincial government is stripping away the powers of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities when it comes to approving new development in many of the province’s most vital natural areas.

Since mid-20th century, conservation authorities have been responsible not only for controlling floods but for protecting and restoring the land, water and natural habitats in this province. They’ve done a superb job, too, even if many developers consider them nothing more than red tape that slows or stops a money-making venture.

But in defiance of this long-held mandate, the Progressive Conservatives last week unveiled legislation that would curtail the conservation authorities’ ability to act as environmental guardians. And as if it was hoping the public wouldn’t notice what it was doing, the government slipped its proposals into its fat, omnibus budget bill.

The public, however, should take notice. What we’re witnessing is a direct threat to responsible environmental and land-use planning.

The new legislation would end the conservation authorities’ role in offering an informed response to development applications and how those applications might impact sensitive natural environments. More power to decide the fate of a proposed development, however controversial, would be handed to the provincial Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

If, where it still had jurisdiction, a conservation authority refused to issue a permit or imposed conditions for a development, a disgruntled developer could appeal directly to the natural resources minister or the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. Until now, someone appealing a permit denial would have to go directly to the local conservation authority’s executive.

December 11, 2018

What the Ford government is doing is politicizing environmental and land-use planning. At the very least, its proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act raise the possibility a developer with a friend in government could one day win approval for a project over well-founded, local opposition.

This shouldn’t happen but the government intends to go even further. The province doesn’t want watershed management and conservation to remain core conservation authority programs, for which municipalities would have to pay. Instead, they would become voluntary programs a municipality could choose to support — or not. 

The Ford government seems to have a grudge against conservation authorities. Last year, it slashed its funding for the authorities by 50 per cent while telling them flood control must become their core mandate. Those shrunken budgets have made it harder for conservation authorities to plant trees, restore forests, and prevent soil erosion and water pollution, all jobs that make for a healthier environment.

May 3, 2018

If the new legislation passes, Ontario’s river valleys, flood plains, wetlands, Great Lakes shorelines — indeed, its water supplies — would be vulnerable to degradation in even more ways. It is also worth noting that the same government is increasingly resorting to ministerial zoning orders which allow it to permit development while bypassing the municipal planning process, environmental assessments and meaningful public consultation.

If Ford truly believes the current process for approving development is too cumbersome, he could streamline the rules, perhaps even imposing tighter deadlines for municipal governments and conservation authorities to respond to a project proposal.

But the interests of the economy, development and money have to be balanced with the interests of our environment. And where they can’t, the interests of the environment should prevail. Ontario should, as the song says, be “a place to grow.” But it should be place to grow for healthy environments, not just developers’ bank accounts. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)

Reddit: The MacKay political cartoon in today’s Hamilton Spectator couldn’t be better

Wednesday July 13, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday July 13, 2016 Hamilton property values spike in latest MPAC assessment Average residential property values in Hamilton have spiked 27 per cent since 2012, leaving homeowners to wonder if tax hikes will follow. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation reassesses the value of all properties in Ontario every four years. Cities use that data to figure out how much you pay in taxes. While Hamilton's assessed property values have jumped, the city didn't even make the Top 5 list for biggest municipal increases. The poster-child for overinflated home prices, Toronto, saw an average increase of 30 per cent, as did Oakville and Burlington. Richmond Hill and Markham topped the greater GTA with average increases of 47 and 45 per cent, respectively. A hot housing market is largely responsible for the dramatic boost, said Greg Baxter, director of valuation and customer relations for the non-profit assessment corporation. "There are always pockets in every community where the market behaves differently," he said. "But in the GTA, and extending all the way to Hamilton, in general real estate values are increasing substantially." It's the kind of news that worries local taxpayers waiting for MPAC notices that started going out July 4 in Hamilton. It makes city officials nervous, too Ñ mostly because they're braced for phone calls from residents asking if their taxes will go up 27 per cent. The answer is no Ñ and in fact, a property value increase doesn't even guarantee your taxes will go up, either. The city has a dedicated page on hamilton.ca to answer resident questions on property reassessment. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)Êhttp://www.thespec.com/news-story/6762889-hamilton-property-values-spike-in-latest-mpac-assessment/ Ontario, housing, home, ownership, tax, taxation, MPAC, property, assessment, municipal

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 13, 2016

Hamilton property values spike in latest MPAC assessment

Average residential property values in Hamilton have spiked 27 per cent since 2012, leaving homeowners to wonder if tax hikes will follow.

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday November 20, 2012 Property Assessment vs. Air strike Crises The average assessed value of a Hamilton home will rise more than 12 per cent over the next four years. Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) notices are beginning to arrive in Hamilton homeownersÕ mailboxes with the latestÊupdate on assessed property values since 2008. Increases will be phased in over four years so locally, residential property values will increase by an average of 3.1 per cent in 2013, saidÊLou Castellani, an area MPAC representative. Decreases will not be phased, however, and should be immediately reflected in updatedÊproperty values. Just because your home is assessed at a higher value doesnÕt mean your taxes will spike, Castellani emphasized. It depends on how yourÊincrease stacks up against the city average. ÒIf you look at your notice and see your home has gone up (in value) 9 per cent, you can probably expect a tax cut,Ó he said. ÒIf you liveÊin a hot market and your property increased in value by 14 per cent, you may see a slight increase in taxes.Ó More than 161,000 homeowners in the Hamilton area will soon receive updated notices, he said. Meanwhile, more Palestinian civilians were caught in the line of fire Monday as Israel expanded the scope of its campaign in the GazaÊStrip, hitting densely packed areas of the territory with airstrikes. Israel began targeting the Gaza homes of Hamas activists and suspected military commanders over the weekend, bolstering its efforts toÊstop Hamas rocket fire on the state. The new approach, however, has led to an increased number of civilian casualties as airstrikesÊdevastate more crowded areas of Gaza. (Source: CTV News) http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/civilian-death-toll-climbs-in-israel-gaza-crisis-as-world-leaders-urge-ceasefire-1.1044011 News, Canada, Ontario, property, assessment, news, rockets, Israel, Palestine, attacks

November 20, 2012

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation reassesses the value of all properties in Ontario every four years. Cities use that data to figure out how much you pay in taxes.

While Hamilton’s assessed property values have jumped, the city didn’t even make the Top 5 list for biggest municipal increases. The poster-child for overinflated home prices, Toronto, saw an average increase of 30 per cent, as did Oakville and Burlington. Richmond Hill and Markham topped the greater GTA with average increases of 47 and 45 per cent, respectively.

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday October 21, 2005 Ontario ombudsman to probe MPAC Ontario's ombudsman is investigating the corporation that assigns values to private property for the purposes of municipal taxation. Andre Marin says there is a lack of transparency in how the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, or MPAC, arrives at its decisions. Marin says the complaints meter in his office has moved into the red-zone over MPAC's ways and there is deep-rooted dissatisfaction over property assessments. He calls the corporation aloof and mysterious and says citizens are dazed and confused over their inability to get the corporation to reveal basic criteria on how values are set. Marin says he knows something is wrong when the mayor of Sarnia refers to MPAC's methods as Monty Python-like. The ombudsman says he'll investigate a number of areas, including MPAC's refusal to adhere to a successful appeal of a property's valuation in subsequent assessments. The investigation is expected to last four to six months. (Source: Ottawa Citizen) Ontario, MPAC, property, assessment, tax, iceberg, hudson bay, tax, housing

October 21, 2005

A hot housing market is largely responsible for the dramatic boost, said Greg Baxter, director of valuation and customer relations for the non-profit assessment corporation.

“There are always pockets in every community where the market behaves differently,” he said. “But in the GTA, and extending all the way to Hamilton, in general real estate values are increasing substantially.”

It’s the kind of news that worries local taxpayers waiting for MPAC notices that started going out July 4 in Hamilton. It makes city officials nervous, too — mostly because they’re braced for phone calls from residents asking if their taxes will go up 27 per cent.

The answer is no — and in fact, a property value increase doesn’t even guarantee your taxes will go up, either. The city has a dedicated page on hamilton.ca to answer resident questions on property reassessment. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Tuesday November 20, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday November 20, 2012 Property Assessment vs. Air strike Crises The average assessed value of a Hamilton home will rise more than 12 per cent over the next four years. Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) notices are beginning to arrive in Hamilton homeownersÕ mailboxes with the latestÊupdate on assessed property values since 2008. Increases will be phased in over four years so locally, residential property values will increase by an average of 3.1 per cent in 2013, saidÊLou Castellani, an area MPAC representative. Decreases will not be phased, however, and should be immediately reflected in updatedÊproperty values. Just because your home is assessed at a higher value doesnÕt mean your taxes will spike, Castellani emphasized. It depends on how yourÊincrease stacks up against the city average. ÒIf you look at your notice and see your home has gone up (in value) 9 per cent, you can probably expect a tax cut,Ó he said. ÒIf you liveÊin a hot market and your property increased in value by 14 per cent, you may see a slight increase in taxes.Ó More than 161,000 homeowners in the Hamilton area will soon receive updated notices, he said. Meanwhile, more Palestinian civilians were caught in the line of fire Monday as Israel expanded the scope of its campaign in the GazaÊStrip, hitting densely packed areas of the territory with airstrikes. Israel began targeting the Gaza homes of Hamas activists and suspected military commanders over the weekend, bolstering its efforts toÊstop Hamas rocket fire on the state. The new approach, however, has led to an increased number of civilian casualties as airstrikesÊdevastate more crowded areas of Gaza. (Source: CTV News) http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/civilian-death-toll-climbs-in-israel-gaza-crisis-as-world-leaders-urge-ceasefire-1.1044011 News, Canada, Ontario, property, assessment, news, rockets, Israel, Palestine, attacks

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday November 20, 2012

Property Assessment vs. Air strike Crises

The average assessed value of a Hamilton home will rise more than 12 per cent over the next four years.

Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) notices are beginning to arrive in Hamilton homeowners’ mailboxes with the latest update on assessed property values since 2008.

Increases will be phased in over four years so locally, residential property values will increase by an average of 3.1 per cent in 2013, said Lou Castellani, an area MPAC representative. Decreases will not be phased, however, and should be immediately reflected in updated property values.

Just because your home is assessed at a higher value doesn’t mean your taxes will spike, Castellani emphasized. It depends on how your increase stacks up against the city average.

“If you look at your notice and see your home has gone up (in value) 9 per cent, you can probably expect a tax cut,” he said. “If you live in a hot market and your property increased in value by 14 per cent, you may see a slight increase in taxes.”

More than 161,000 homeowners in the Hamilton area will soon receive updated notices, he said.

Meanwhile, more Palestinian civilians were caught in the line of fire Monday as Israel expanded the scope of its campaign in the Gaza Strip, hitting densely packed areas of the territory with airstrikes.

Israel began targeting the Gaza homes of Hamas activists and suspected military commanders over the weekend, bolstering its efforts to stop Hamas rocket fire on the state. The new approach, however, has led to an increased number of civilian casualties as airstrikes devastate more crowded areas of Gaza. (Source: CTV News)

 

Friday October 21, 2005

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday October 21, 2005 Ontario ombudsman to probe MPAC Ontario's ombudsman is investigating the corporation that assigns values to private property for the purposes of municipal taxation. Andre Marin says there is a lack of transparency in how the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, or MPAC, arrives at its decisions. Marin says the complaints meter in his office has moved into the red-zone over MPAC's ways and there is deep-rooted dissatisfaction over property assessments. He calls the corporation aloof and mysterious and says citizens are dazed and confused over their inability to get the corporation to reveal basic criteria on how values are set. Marin says he knows something is wrong when the mayor of Sarnia refers to MPAC's methods as Monty Python-like. The ombudsman says he'll investigate a number of areas, including MPAC's refusal to adhere to a successful appeal of a property's valuation in subsequent assessments. The investigation is expected to last four to six months. (Source: Ottawa Citizen) Ontario, MPAC, property, assessment, tax, iceberg, hudson bay, tax, housing

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday October 21, 2005

Ontario ombudsman to probe MPAC

Ontario’s ombudsman is investigating the corporation that assigns values to private property for the purposes of municipal taxation. Andre Marin says there is a lack of transparency in how the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, or MPAC, arrives at its decisions.

Marin says the complaints meter in his office has moved into the red-zone over MPAC’s ways and there is deep-rooted dissatisfaction over property assessments.

He calls the corporation aloof and mysterious and says citizens are dazed and confused over their inability to get the corporation to reveal basic criteria on how values are set.

Marin says he knows something is wrong when the mayor of Sarnia refers to MPAC’s methods as Monty Python-like.

The ombudsman says he’ll investigate a number of areas, including MPAC’s refusal to adhere to a successful appeal of a property’s valuation in subsequent assessments.

The investigation is expected to last four to six months. (Source: Ottawa Citizen)