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Property Assessments for Ontario Horse Farms
Update: Feb 26, 2005
Friday, Feb 25 - there was an information session at King City Town offices. About 30 people were in attendance. There were 3 Mayors, Carl Isenburg - President of MPAC, horse people, a reporter and other friends. Carl and Leslie Brooks gave background information, along with the current status. Then there were questions and answers and a lot of lively discussion and many opinions!
Leslie will be attending another MPAC information session on Wed., Mar. 2nd, 1-4 at the former York Equestrian Centre - now the Royal Canadian Riding Academy. North York Farmers feed store arranged this over the last couple of weeks. Rose McLean from MPAC will be also be attending. There will be a Q&A session at the end of presentations. The MPAC discussion will start at 2. From 1-2pm Robert Wright of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food will be speaking on 'Horse News and Views - Research and recent events that impact on the Canadian horse industry'. Address: 4252 Davis Dr., Newmarket - Call Vicky at 905-895-5172 to reserve your seat.
Please let Leslie know if you know of any public meetings or ask them to contact her - 519-696-3688 JLnet@Quixnet.net. We would like to give organisers information or attend and speak to the issues and status. We need to be delivering the correct information and we do not want to send the wrong message to media, horse people or to government. Many people have no idea how far we have come already in fighting the commercial taxation of horse farms. They need to be brought up to date. We also need to be consistent in our approach and handling. At this point, we do not want to be to aggressive. (No protests please!)
We are getting nothing but co-operation and speedy dealings from all areas of government including MPAC. Wwe understand that it probably does not feel that way to many of us who have been reassessed but we have been assured by many that should know, that this is lightning speed for government and this type of issue.
On Feb 3rd Greg Sorbara, Minister of Finance, asked MPAC to stop reassessing all horse establishments and to work with us to develop appropriate property taxation criteria. MPAC is to deliver a report back to him within 30 days. Over the last 2 weeks, we have had many meetings and they were very productive. MPAC is now drafting a report with the recommendations. We will be reviewing the report and then it will go to the Minister of Finance by the end of this week. We then expect to hear from the Minister within a fairly short period of time. If he accepts the recommendations we have been told that he could tell MPAC to apply them immediately - legislative change would not be required and there should be no additional delays. We will also be asking for corrections to those reassessed inappropriately to be made for the last few years. In attendance at these meetings - MPAC, Ministry of Finance staff, OMAF, OFA, Christian Farmers, OEF/ARE, Leslie Brooks and Jim Waechter (the volunteer Co-Chairs of the OEF/ARE MPAC Committee). We are not at liberty to reveal any of the recommendations but I (Leslie) can tell you the meetings have been very productive and I am pleased with our discussions and recommendations. At this point, we need the report to go to Greg Sorbara later this week (by March 4th)and then we need to wait for his response.
It is also great to know that the Greater Toronto Area Mayors passed a motion Feb 22nd in support of asking Minister Greg Sorbara to require MPAC to return assessment to 2003 valuations where value added has been reassessed.
During this process, please see www.horse.on.ca for updates and continue the letter writing campaign. (MPAC has received about 2000 letters!)
Leslie Brooks & Jim Waechter
Volunteer Co-Chairs of the OEF/ARE MPAC Committee
519-696-3688 (Please call us if you have reassessed as commercial or you are concerned)
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