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Home My WebLink AboutFND-025-12 Clarington REPORT FINANCE DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: November 26, 2012 Resolution#: d' -/ By-law#: Report#: FND-025-12 File#: Subject: SERVICE FEE AMENDMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report FND-025-12 be received; and 2. THAT the implementation of the new services fees and the increase in fees addressed in Report FND-025-12 be approved; and 3. THAT the by-law attached to Report FND-025-12 as Attachment "A" be approved. Submitted by: 4LL L /i Reviewed by: Nancy f r/BB , CA, Franklin Wu, Direct r of Chief Administrative Officer Fin ce/Tr urer a rrie, CMO nici I Clerk NT/M M/hjl CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 REPORT NO.: FND-025-12 PAGE 2 1. BACKGROUND 1.1 During 2013 budget discussions, several ideas were put forward to implement some new service fees. The following addresses those pertaining to Finance and Clerks Departments. 2. NEW FEES 2.1 Arrears Notices/Letter for Tax Accounts becoming eligible for tax sale When taxpayers have property tax arrears, they are notified up to four times a year at no extra charge to them. This Administration Fee is intended to offset municipal staff time and expense to compile and send individual letters/notices to notify the taxpayer of their tax account becoming eligible for tax sale and/or Notice of a Tax Lien being registered against their property in the following year. Staff are recommending an arrears notice/letters administration fee of $25.00 plus applicable taxes. 2.2 Mortgage Administration Fee Charge to Mortgage Companies This new administration fee for mortgage companies is intended to help offset municipal staff time and expense in providing balance information for tax accounts that the mortgage company is not responsible for paying the property - taxes but is the-mortgagor-and-requests tax account status. Staff have done a survey of the other municipalities in the area that currently charge this administration fee to mortgage companies and the results are below: Pickering $65.00 per roll number— issue a tax certificate Whitby $65.00 per roll number— issue a tax certificate Oshawa $25.00 per roll number Ajax $10.00 per roll number Staff are recommending a mortgage administration fee to mortgage companies of $10.00 plus applicable taxes per roll number. 2.3 Provincial Offences Act Lien, Water/Sewer Lien, Development Charges added to the roll Administration Fee This new administration fee is intended to help offset municipal staff time and expense to add these charges to the tax roll and upon collection remit payment to the Region of Durham. Staff have done a survey of the area municipalities that currently charge this administration fee to the tax accounts and the findings are below: REPORT NO.: FND-025-12 PAGE 3 Pickering $25.00 per roll number Whitby $50.00 per roll number Oshawa $25.00 per roll number Ajax $25.00 per roll number Staff are recommending a lien administration fee of $25.00 plus applicable taxes per roll number. 2.4 Property Tax Account Analysis/Research (includes archival records) The fee for this service is intended to help offset staff time and expense to do research for a taxpayer on their current or previously owned property tax account which may include the searching of archival records. Staff have done a survey of the other municipalities in the area that currently charge this fee regarding this service and the results are below: Pickering $35.00 per hour (one hour minimum) Oshawa $30.00 per hour Ajax $30.00 per hour (one hour minimum) Staff recommends a fee of $30.00 per hour plus applicable taxes per roll number with a one hour minimum. 2.5 Postdated Cheque Removal or Date Change The fee for this service is intended to help offset staff time and expense to extract postdated cheques already in process as well as encourage taxpayers to adhere to their payment arrangements. Staff have done a survey of the other municipalities in the area that currently charge this fee regarding this service and results are below: Pickering $42.50 per item Whitby $20.00 per item Ajax $25.00 per item Staff are recommending a postdated-cheque removal/date change administration - -fee of$25.00 plus applicable taxes per item, -- REPORT NO.: FND-025-12 PAGE 4 3. INCREASE IN FEES 3.1 Fee for Certification of Documents The Municipality has been charging $1.00 per document for certification for many years. In reviewing this fee, the other municipalities in the Region of Durham were surveyed, with the following findings: Oshawa $25 for up to 3 documents, $5 per document over 3 Pickering $15 for up to 5 documents, $5 per document over 5 Scugog $20 Whitby $25 for non-residents, no fee for residents Brock $25 for non-residents, no fee for residents Uxbridge $20 In order to bring our fee more in line with other municipalities within the Region, it is recommended that the fee for certification of documents be increased to $25 for up to three documents and $5 per document over three. 4. CONCURRENCE - Not applicable 5. CONCLUSION It is recommended that the fees addressed in this report be implemented effective January 1, 2013. CONFORMITY WITH STRATEGIC PLAN — The recommendations contained in this report conform to the general intent of the following priorities of the Strategic Plan: Promoting economic development x Maintaining financial stability Connecting Clarington Promoting green initiatives Investing in infrastructure Showcasing our community Not in conformity with Strategic Plan Staff Contact: Nancy Taylor, Director of Finance/Treasurer Patti Barrie, Municipal Clerk Attachments: Attachment A - By-law to amend By-law 96-32 List of interested parties to be advised of Council's decision: None Attachment "A" THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON BY-LAW NO. 2012- Being a By-law to amend By-law 96-32, as amended, to require the payment of fees for information and services provided by the Municipality of Clarington and for prescribing the amount of such fees WHEREAS at its meeting-held on December 3, 2012, the Council of the Municipality of Clarington adopted the recommendations contained in Report FND-025-12; NOW THEREFORE THE COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON HEREBY ENACTS AS FOLLOWS: 1. THAT By-law 96-32 be amended as follows: a) By deleting Schedule "A" and replacing it with attached Schedule "A'; b) By deleting Schedule "F" and replacing it with attached Schedule "F"; and c) THAT this By-law shall come into effect January 1, 2013. BY-LAW passed in open session this 3rd day of December 2012. Adrian Foster, Mayor Patti L. Barrie, Municipal Clerk I SCHEDULE "A" TO BY-LAW 96-32, AS AMENDED GENERALFEES SERVICE/DOCUMENT FEE Photocopies $0.65/page (minimum charge) $3.00 Staff Reports no charge prior to Council meeting After meeting, no charge under 10 pages; 11-20 pages $5.00; over 20 pages $10.00 Long Distance Fax Service Flat rate $10.00 up to 5 pages and $1.00 per page thereafter Commissioner for Taking Affidavits $20.00 + any applicable taxes/signature Certification of Documents $25 for up to 3 documents; $5 per document over 3 t SCHEDULE "F" TO BY-LAW 96-32, AS AMENDED FEES PRESCRIBED BY THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE/TREASURER SERVICE/DOCUMENT FEE New Account/Change of Ownership fee $25.00 per taxpayer Arrears Notice/Letter for tax accounts $25.00 plus applicable taxes becoming eligible for tax sale Mortgage Administration fee charge to $10.00 plus applicable taxes Mortgage Companies per roll number Provincial Offences Act Lien, Water/Sewer $25.00 plus applicable taxes Lien, Development Charges added to the per roll number roll administration fee Property Tax Account Analysis/Research $30.00 per hour plus (includes archival records) plus applicable taxes (one hour minimum) Postdated Cheque Removal or Date $25.00 plus applicable taxes Change fee per item