10/ DECEMBER 2017 THE RIDER
The farm property tax conundrums
By Larry Davis, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Last year many Ontario farmers and landowners were
Foundation Reining Training Centre “Better trained horses to western riders.”
Susan Dahl
B.Sc. Computer, Math
Retired Certified Professional Horse Trainer Myler Bit Certified,
judge, clinics, horse sales, writer
Durham, (West Grey) ON 519-369-4631
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shocked by the 2016 Municipal Property Assessment Cor- poration (MPAC) assessments that saw farmland values in- crease by an average 65% over a four-year period. Ontario farmers had already dealt with similar increases in the pre- vious round of MPAC assessments in 2012. These increases in farmland values, coupled with significantly lower resi- dential and commercial classification increases will lead to farmers shouldering an astonishingly higher portion of local property taxes unless action is taken at the county level. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has been advo-
cating for fair farmland tax rates across Ontario. The newly assessed values are being phased in equally over
a four-year period (2017-2020). As assessment values go up, prop- erty tax bills rise unless specific action is taken to adjust the prop- erty tax formula. The formula provides that farmland property taxes will be set at an amount up to 25% of the residential property rate. This flexibility in setting farm property tax rates is necessary. It exists to allow municipalities to deal with the uneven increases in farmland value.
The two most widely held principles of property tax fairness
are the ability to pay principle and the benefit principle. The benefit principle states that those who use more services
should pay a higher tax rate. The sharp increase in farmland values and resulting tax increases mean farmers will be paying more prop- erty tax than ever before, while consuming the same level of serv- ices as they always have. Neither the ability to pay or the benefit principle justify such a steep increase in property tax burden for Ontario farmers. The increase in assessment and property taxes that Ontario
farmers face is not reflective of a farmer’s ability to pay more tax. While assessment values are increasing by 65%, net farm in- come is not. If farm tax bills continue to increase, farmers will be shoul-
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Secretary: Kit Bartle Kelly Lehman
Melanie Gray Shari Irwin
FINE LEATHER & SILVER WORKS
Toll-Free (877) 446-4688 Fax: (613) 446-7888
Email:
circlersad@yahoo.com Website:
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1265 B Caron St., ROCKLAND, ONT. K4K 1L8
2017 Judges Committee (519) 379-3874
(905) 440-5941 (519) 807-2660 (519) 732-0263
Ray Laviolette (613) 446-4688
dering excessive property tax burdens. Municipalities across the province are already starting their 2018 budget discussions. Now is the time for all county and regional federations to work with their county and single-tier municipalities to adjust the farm tax ratio in their areas accordingly. OFA is available to provide any member or county federation with analysis upon request to help build a case for fair farm tax ratios. While MPAC is responsible for the farmland property assess-
ments, the farm tax ratio is the responsibility of each county or single-tier municipal government. OFA encourages all mem- bers to thoroughly review and understand their farmland prop- erty assessments, the impacts the new value will have to their farms and tax rates, and address the tax ratio issue with their local county or single-tier municipality. Ontario farmers should be proud of our valuable land and farm businesses, but will not and cannot shoulder unnecessary tax burdens.
email:
melodyacres@bmts.com email:
shari_irwin@hotmail.com email:
maddavery@sympatico.ca email:
drumbolady@hotmail.ca
Website:
www.whao.org Celebrating 65 Years! 2017 Sr. Judges
Melanie Gray R.R. #5, Owen Sound, ON N4K 5N7 (519) 372-2527,
melodyacres@bmts.com
Shari Irwin 166 Gleasons Corner Road, Castleton, ON K0K 1M0 (905) 349-1092, Cell (905) 440-5941
shari_irwin@hotmail.com
Michelle Jones 537 Pothier Road, St. Charles, ON P0M 2W0 Home number: (705) 867-1707 Cell number:
(705) 507-0124
Jamie Kuhl 50 Fairglen Ave., Brampton, ON L6X 1K6 (647) 290-6093,
j.kuhl@rogers.com
Kelly Lehman P.O. Box 128, Drumbo, ON N0J 1G0 Cell: (519) 807-2660 Email:
maddavery@sympatico.ca
Anne Marinacci 65 Swayze Court, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0 905-957-5619
Janet McClure 14156 Ten Mile Road R.R. #3, Ilderton, ON N0M 2A0 (519) 666-2482
janetmcclure1@gmail.com
Kathryn Powers 91 Croydon Avenue, St. Catharines, ON L2M 1J9 (905) 646-8768, Cell (905) 401-4693
silknblues@yahoo.com
Tom Saul 574 Valentina St., Petrolia, ON N0N 1R0 (519) 882-0958
tbsaul@outlook.com
Kris Simpson 711 Middletown Rd., RR #2, Waterdown, ON L8B 1P7 (519) 831-7922
richlandshowhorses@gmail.com
Don Stauffer 9626 Wellington Rd. 14, P.O. Box 16, Conn, ON N0G 1N0 (519) 323-2727, Cell (519) 604-8864
thestauffers48@gmail.com
Rick Storey 994 St. Pauls St.,Peterborough, ON K9H 6J6 Cell (705) 750-8431
rickstorey@gmail.com
Robyn Storey 6-120 Dudhope Ave., Cambridge, ON N1R 4T7 (519) 620-9015, Cell: (519) 841-3934,
gatorrocks@hotmail.com
Brenda Thompson 284 Whitmore Dr., Waterloo, ON N2K 2N5 (519) 884-4050, Cell (519) 577-7320
bmctearnen@yahoo.ca
Mike Tucker 1581 Maple St. N., R.R. #4, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 (905) 892-5610, Cell (905) 984-1581
m.tucker@hotmail.ca
Jr. Judges
Cally Jo Fritz 21 Taylor Blvd., Elliot Lake, ON P5A 3H5 H: (226) 289-8563, C: (519) 280-8169 Email:
callygene@gmail.com
Erin O’Drowsky 253 James St. N., St. Mary’s, ON N4X 1A5 H: (519) 284-0684, C: (226) 377-0244
Email:
eodrowsk@gmail.com
Kristy Rinzema 8 Falesy Ave., Kitchener, ON N2A 1N8 (519) 504-7074
rinzema.kristy@
gmail.com
Inactive Judges
Megan Sheppard Eagle Lake Rd., R.R. # 1, South River, ON P0A 1X0 (705) 386-8848, Cell (705) 492-2565 megan-
dallaire@gmail.com
John Ward 5180 Line 13, R.R. #4, Harriston, ON N0G 1Z0 (519) 327-4541 jglass-
ward@wightman.ca
P.O. Box 10072, Ancaster, ON L9C 7B2 1-877-743-3715 •
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