world19News #78 - January 25, 2001 |
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world19News This e-mail is going to people on the mailing list for world19. If you don't want to receive further notices, please reply to this e-mail with "remove" in the subject. Let us know if you prefer to receive this in "plain text" format. Please forward this to anyone you think may be interested. We always encourage people to send us comments, ideas, as well as information about events or issues affecting our community. First, a happy 2001 to all our readers. Second, a reminder to make sure if you send us email it's addressed to world19@world19.com, and NOT to an idirect.com address. It's been some time since we had a real newsletter out, and there are a number of items crossing the "world19 newsdesk", so this issue will list a few of them, sometimes a brief note with a link to more information on our website. 1. DEVELOPMENTS An opinion approving of the OMB decision was in John Barber's column in the Jan. 23 Globe and Mail http://www.globeandmail.ca/gam/Toronto/20010123/UBARBM.html b) Stelco site 2. PROPERTY TAX & ASSESSMENT Original estimates of how short the City would be this year originally targeted $150 million, but now are climbing to around $300 million. New provincial legislation (Bill 140) dictates how Toronto and several other cities can raise needed revenue. Any additional funds needed here must come only from residential properties -- the tax rate cannot be increased on commercial properties. This is supposed to be because the Province believes the City of Toronto (and some others) impose too high a tax rate on commercial properties. However, 55% of commercial property taxes are provincial (for education), and commercial properties in Toronto pay a much higher provincial tax rate than other cities. For example, if commercial properties in Toronto paid the same provincial rate as Mississauga, their taxes would immediately drop by 22%. However if things proceed without change, homeowners and others in the residential class could see a whopping tax increase -- and this is before assessment changes are factored in. Generally, properties in the old City of Toronto have increased in assessed value the most. Ward 14, (east of Parkside/Keele) shows one of the 2 largest assessment increases in Toronto. Since the average of all residential properties increased 21%, this means if your assessment increased by that much, your tax bill shouldn't increase -- unless the City needs more money than last year. (See the $150 - $300 million estimate above...). What might your tax bill be? Start with 1% of your new assessment -- that should be your approximate tax for the City to raise the same revenue as last year. If it needs an additional $150 million, and it has to come from homeowners, make the new bill 1.15%. (And since Toronto's share of the entire assessment total across the province has increased, it might be 1.20% to pay the increased provincial education levy) But who knows? Not even City Council. Secret talks are being held with the Province on some type of bailout. The Province may come up with some cash, but only if the City does things "their" (i.e., Province) way. Huge tax hikes? Huge service cuts? Barber's column cited above quotes the last words heard in public from Mel Lastman: "Amalgamation for Toronto has been an absolute disaster!" A group of citizens from across Toronto called "Committee for Fair City Taxes" has been meeting recently to discuss these problems and has several recommendations. (Including turning back a small percentage of the approximately $5 billion surplus that Toronto sends each year to Queen's Park & Ottawa). world19 has participated in these discussions. A newsletter has been produced with more information. It's available on our website www.world19.com or http://webhome.idirect.com/~jleeson/fair_tax_newsletter.htm. We also have paper copies of the newsletter available. The committee now has its own website: www.faircitytaxes.org and can be reached at info@faircitytaxes.org. A press conference will be held today at City Hall by the group. 3. COMMUNITY A reader sent us the following link to a very good article in the Utne Reader, "'Soul Searching", Does your hometown have a soul? If you can define the character of your town, maybe you can keep it intact". http://www.utne.com/bTravel.tmpl?command=search&db=dArticle.db&eqheadlinedata=Soul%20Searching. Appropriate for towns, or communities within cities. 4. HISTORICAL NOTES
b) Swansea Historical Society 5. WEB SITE For world19, world19: |