A PROPERTY ASSESSMENT INCREASE IS NOT THE SAME AS A TAX INCREASE

When most of us received our property reassessment notices it showed our property assessment was up. But an increase in property assessment does not automatically mean a tax increase.

Reassessment is revenue neutral. This means that tax rates are adjusted so that what the City collects in taxes will not increase as a result of reassessment.

For people trying to figure out how the chance in their assessments will affect their tax bill, they need to see how it compares to the average assessment increase in the City. If your assessment is below average, it is likely your property taxes will drop. If it is above average, your property taxes will increase. For people whose property taxes rise as a result of reassessment, the increase will be close to the difference between the average and the increase in your assessment, not the total increase in your assessment.

What makes reassessment more complicated is that provincial rules for property assessment treat a number of types of properties different than residential.

If you are not happy with you assessment, you can appeal it. To get more information you can go to www.mpac.ca. 

There have been a number of complaints about the property assessment system. What is not widely known is that the rules for property assessment are set by the provincial government. It is the province that has the power to change the system. If you have concerns about the property assessment system it is important to contact our Member of Provincial Parliament, Norm Sterling, or the Premier, Dalton McGuinty. Norm Sterling can be reach at 613-599-3000 and Dalton McGuinty can be reached at 613-736-9573.

REMEMBRANCE DAY A TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOMS AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR THEM

Last month when we went to vote in the federal election we knew that our votes would decide who would be in government. We also knew that whoever got elected, we would have the right to criticize their actions without fear of persecution.

Remembrance Day is a time to reflect on the fact that the freedoms we have are there because Canadians were willing to risk their lives to fight against totalitarian regimes. It is also a time to think of those who lost their lives and be reminded that the decision to place the lives of the people who serve in our armed forces at risk should never be taken lightly.

NEWSPAPER RECYCLING COMING TO TRANSITWAY

In early November a pilot project for newspaper recycling at transitway stations will begin. This will address a long standing concern about the number of newspapers left lying around or ending up in the garbage.

Metro and 24 Hours, the two free papers, will be paying for the recycling bins. Bins will be transparent to avoid security concerns – the need for transparent bins is why the introduction of the pilot program took longer than hoped.

Provided the pilot program is a success, we will hopefully see recycling bins at all transitway stations. For both the appearance of transitway stations and waste diversion this is a step forward.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA SOUTH

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2752 (office), 580-2762 (fax), www.feltmateforkanata.com or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca