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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTR-51-97 Meeting: Date: Report# Subject: THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON June 16, 1997 File#: TR-51-97 M Frore F.1 . By-Law# It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. That Report TR-51-97 be received for information, and 2. That the Region of Durham be requested to allow the opportunity for input from all the area municipalities to any proposed tax relief program being considered through Bill 106. Background: 1. At the meeting of May 26, 1997, Council referred item 1-8 (attachment # 1) to the Treasurer for review and a report. The information item refers to a mandatory program of tax relief for low-income, disabled people, and seniors. 2. Staff have been in contact with both AMO and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and have been advised that the amendment, which made mandatory a program of relief, was passed with Bill 106. A copy of the amendment under section 373 of the act is attachment #2 to this report. 2.1 The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has confirmed that, as section 373 states, the lower-tier municipalities are not subject to adoption of the program. However the mandatory tax relief program is applicable to the Region as the upper-tier municipality. The Region will be required to apply a consistent program to each of the municipalities within its boundaries. ...2 APELER PAP ER -- 801 P n Y RECCLE -2 PR'tfllDQ RECYCLED PAPER TR-51-97 Page 2 2.2 The Ministry of Municipal Affairs did state however, that the Region has the ability to define the degree of relief it will adopt. The legislation offers a very broad interpretation of this section of the act such that the Region could effectively apply minimal relief to the affected taxpayers and still be in compliance with the act. 3.0 Staff would expect that the Region will deal with this change along with the other functional changes imposed by the various Legislative changes. The Region is requested to allow the area municipalities the opportunity for input into the process prior to the imposition of any tax relief program. Respectively Submitted, MAM/pp Attach: Reviewed by, f W.H. Stockwell, Chief Administrative Officer " 1 05/13/97 22:56:00 EST; ASSOCIATIOR (IF?-> JlAY-13-97 TUE 03:49 PM A M 0 IV16-m her.: tlri rte urtiG�tlbh. For Your Onformation For ilnlnediate attention 9056234169 CLERK—Clarington Mun Page 002 �i FAX NO. 4169297574 ATTACHMENT #1P. 01 COUNCIL INFORMATION I_8 ti Association of l t�tl Municipalities of Ontario 2Sa HiOOr St-Eaet,Sulle 7a1 Toronto,ON Mow 1E9 Toll 14113)97.0.7573•lax;(416)820.7574 OMAR!8mo0gm0.mun1c0m.00m AMO URGES PROVINCII* TO RECONSIDER MANDATORY TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS ISSUE: AMgarding mandatory tax relief for low- O's response to an amendment to Bill 106, the Fair Municipal Finance Act regarding seniors and persons with disabilities. THE PACTS: During clause by clause analysis of Bill 106, the Fair Municipal Finance Act, the Ministry of Finance Introduced an amendment which would force municipalities to establish a tax relief program for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. The amendment also states that it could be possible to not only receive a deferral,but even a"cancellation" Of properly tax increases. The Fair Municipal Finance Act, Bill 106,which was introduced during Mega Week,establishes a new property and tax Policy system for Ontario's municipalities. According to the 13111 introduced in January,tax relief for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities was to be a local option,that is,whether to provide one was a local decision. According to the amendment which has been incorporated into the Bill(scheduled for Third Reading),this will not be a local option, but rather, mandatory.At no time during discussions with the Province on the reform of the assessment and property tax system were municipalities led to believe that certain tax payers could have their tax increases cancelled. In our presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs in April 1997, AMO supported Bill 106 in principle, on [tie grounds that it provides local flexibility and accountability for tax policy decisions. AMO viewed this, " piece of legislation as att acknowledgmont by the Province,that municipalities are ready and able to be held accountable for local tax policy that reflects local circumstances, While supportive of the Bill,AMO identified some concerns relating to implementation,such as issues of timing and the lack of impact analyses. However, none of the issues or concerns raised by AMO with respect to Bill 106 related to providing relief for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities from properly tax increases, in fact,AMO acknowledges that the reassessment will have differing impacts on taxpayers and hence believes that municipalities should have the option to provide such relief if that is appropriate for their communities. STATUS: — ___.. Upon learning of the amendment, and knowing that the Bill has been ordered for Third Reading, AMO wrote to the Minister of Finance, expressing in the strongest possible terms,our opposition to the amendment. In the letter,AN10 emphasized that not only does this amendment completely contradict the spirit and intent of Bill 1o6, narnely, local autonomy and flexibility, but it may result in increased costs to municipalities to establish and administer a relief program, at a time when they can least afford them. Consequently, AMO argued that the amendment be withdrawn. AMO will keep the membership apprised of any developments on this issue. For mcrc information contact: Joanne Meddaoui, Policy Advisor, (416) 929.7573 lmeddaoui @ amo.municoln.com. ext. 320, c-mail: Transmission Pnoblerns: Mari] Pontes, Admtntslrative Assistant, (416) 929.7573 ext. 326, c-mail: mpontes @ amo.muncom.com. M&Y 13. 199; 1/1 8,03 MAY-27-97 TUE 02;53 PM A M 0 Sec,/art,55 Amounts (MINFe.rreJ by local hrunicipal- itirs ndiustcd A11111 ctppf Ac, FAX N0. 4169297574 P, 01102 Pvst-11'"Fax Note 7671E Dat `lha a_ot�_,, HMENT #2 To �. p n - -, Fro rrr�11" � C o., G Co, Phono# Phone 5� x �� �\-- Fax# Ij}-C _7S I Fax# 'jet 106 Yley (9) If a local muni upper-tier purposes to respect _C TI re a 1998 assessment-related tax increase or fins dune municipalitd de palier supccrieur decrease is being phased-in the amount of tion td�oul non do['Augmentation de 1y98dtest taxes the local municipality shall pay the incluse progressivement, le rnontant des inl• cco r anc municipality be adjusted in p6ts qu'elle est tenue de payer h la municipa- aeeordance with the following principles for iitd do palier supErieur est ajust6 Mullicntd- sharing the shortfall or surplus arising from a meat ails principes qui suivent pour o qui l&est Phase-in: du partage du trlanque it gagner ou de 1'exei:'- dent r6sultant de I'inclusion : ' L A shortfall in taxes resulting from the phasing in of an increase shall be shared in proportion to the upper-tier and lower-tier portions of the taxes with respect to which the phase-in applied, 2. A surplus of taxes resulting from the phasing in of a decrease shall be shared in proportion to the upper-tier and lower-tier portions of the taxes with respect to which the phasc.ln applied, inrInx bill (1Q) A notice of demand of taxes payable on tax bill in respect of which there is a phase-in shall indicate the anlount of taxes that would have been payable without the phase-in the atnount of taxes that are payable, a , nd the difference- _W —� l o income 3�3 (1) l%or the purposes of relieving seniors, financial hardship, the council of a munici- scnlors,clC. pality, other than a lower-tier municipality, may pass a by-law providing for deferrals or cancellation of, or other relief in respect of, all or part of assessment-related tax increases on property in the residential/fanll property class for owners who are, or whose spouses are, (a) low-income seniors as defined in the by-law;or (b) low-income persons with disabilities as defined in the by-law. roust be (1.1) The council of a municipality, other given than a lower-tier municipality, shall pass a by-law under subsection(1), Uerinitinns (2) l+or the u 1 (poses of this section, L Le nlanque A gagner r6sultant de fill- elusion progressive dune augmenta- tion d'imp6t est partagd en proportion de la fraction des imp6ts visds par i'in- clusion qui revient au palier infdrieur et de cello, qui revient all palier supG- rieur, 2. UexcMent r6suitant de ]'inclusion pro- gressive dune r@duction d'inlp6t est parta96 on proportion do la fraction des imp6ts visds par 1'inelusion qui revient all palier inf6rieur et de Celle qui re- vient au palier sup&ietlr. Ajustement dc.o montnnts IronsW69 par I'm mtlnicipia tits locales (10) Un Avis exigeant le Paieillent d'im- Remetsne. p6ts exigiblos qui font ]'objet d'une inclusion tnentsrign. Progressive pr6cise le montant des imp6ts qu.i comPta deem. auraient dtd exigibles en Pabsenee de I'inclu- position Sion, le montant des imp6ts exigibles et la diff6rence entre ees deux montants• 373. (1) En vue d'alldger les difficult6s flnanei4es de cos AW.eemeot personnes, le Conseil dune tnuni0palit6 nest vent,per- qui pas une munici aiitd de palier infdriew' sonnea 9g6es petit prendre un rdgleruent. municipal preevoyant le report rdav�nu` ou I'annulation de tout oa part(e do 1'augmetltation d'imp6t d6coulant de 114valuation des bicns de la cat6lgorie des biens l•dsldentiels/agricoles, ou tine autre,forme d'all6gement en rapport avee Will On partie de cette augmentation, dans le cas des propri6taires qui satisfont 3 Tune oil 1'autre des Conditions suivanteS oil (font le conjoint y satisfait: a) ils sont des personnes ag&s A faible revcnu au $ens du r8glenlent munici- pal; b) lis sont des personnes A faible revellu atteintcs dune 1nvalidit6 au lens du rbglement municipal. (1.1) Le Conseil dune raunicipalit8 qui (:nndgenunt nest pas une nlunicipalitd do palier inf6rieur rkcol doit est tenu de prendre le r8glenlcnt municipal We accord6 pr6 11 all paragraphe (1). ,ter (2) Les d6finitions qui suivcnt s'appliquent INAnilions au pr6sent article, It 1 4 MAY-27-97 TUE 02153 PM A M 0 40 FAX N0, 4169297574 P, 02/02 ATTACHMENT #2 Hill 106, Part it FAIR MUNICiPAI,FINANCE Aunicipal Act A17 7drnents Scc,/art,55 Mndifrcnriat de la Iii stir/es ntunicipalills itaNNOS Bien I-related tax increases' [means tax increases beginning in I998 or beginning in a subsequent taxation year for which the day or one of the days as of which current value is determined for the purposes of assessment for the taxation year is different from the corresponding day or days for the provious taxation year; ("atlgillentation d'imp6t decoulant de I'evaluatjon") "Ownez" means a person assessed as an owner, ("propri6taire") Nterminn, (3) The amount of an assessmc (ion of asses. tit-related Smenl-rollled tax increase shall be determined as follows: lax increase 1, 1701- it tax increase beginning in 1998, the assessment-related tax increase is the tax increase within the meaning of the definition of "1998 assessment-re- lated tax increase or decrease" in sub- Section 372 (2) reduced, if the tax Increase is being phased-in under a by- law under section 372, by the amount not yet phamd-in, 2, htor a tax increase beginning in a sub- sequent year, the assessment-related tax increase is the 'uhQunt determined in accordance with tho regulations, Rgwlm rn1,, (a) The Minister may make regulations relnled lax governing the determination of an asses- iucre.lses sment-related tax increase for the purposes of paragraph 2 of'subsection(3). iolow r-No (5) by-law of an upper-tier municipality ro tower-nets providing for a deferral or cancellation of tax increases or other relief in respect of tax increases also applies with respect to the tax increases of its lower-tier municipalities. Amounts (6) If a lower-tier Iminici alit uanxferred rate for u p Y levies a tax bylewer.lier upper-tier purposes in respect of mus'adj N- which there is a deferral or cancellation of tax iliesudjugted Increases or other relief in respect of tax increases, the amount of tuxes the lower-tier Municipality shall pay the upper-tier munici- pality shall be reduced accordingly. Deferred (6,1) If a lower-tier Iax",pay, municipality levies a ment in tax rate for upper-tier purposes in respect of upper-der which there is a deferral of tax increaseS the (<augmentation d'imp6t decoulatt de 1'eva- luadon» Augmentation d'imp6t qui corn- nlencc en 1998 ou dans une ann6c d'lmpo- sition ult6i'leure pour laquelle le jour ou till des jours auquel la valeur actuelle est de- tcrnlinee aux fins de 1'evaluation appli- cable d cette annEe est diffdrent du ou des fours correspondents applicable$ it 1'annee pr6c6dente. 0assessment-related tax increases») «propri611ire» Personne vis6e par une evalua- tion 11 ce titre.(«owner») (3) Le montant de 1'augrnentation Wimp& decoulant do ]'revaluation est calcine comtlle suit . 1, Dens le cas d'unc augmentation d'im- p6t qui commence en 1998, (augmen- tation Wimp& decoulant de 116valua- tion correspond it ('augmentation d'imp6t an seas (le la definition de <uaugnlentation ou r6duction Wimp& decoulant de IYvaluation de 1998» au paragraphe 372 (2), d6dttetion faitc du montant qui reste h inelure, si cette augmentation cst incluse progressive- Mcnt aux ternles d'un reglemont municipal pris on application de i'atti- cle 372, 2. Dons le cas dune augmentation Willi, P& qui commence dans une annee ul- t6ricure, !'augmentation d'imp6t de- coulant de F6valuation est le montant calcu16 confor►n6ment aux r8glcments. Calcui de 1'auFmeaem- lion<t'inipot decoulant de I'dvnItntion (4) Le ministl'e pout, par rbglemcnt, r6gir Ragmmems, le calcul d'une augmentation d'imp6t ddcou- "°6m01tit' lint de 1'6valuation our I'a hi caton de la bond impOt p pp � ddcoulant de disposifion 2 du paragraphe (3), Pilvidustion (5) Les rt'glements municipaux d'une mu- nicipaliO do palier supesrieur dui prevoient le report ou I'annulation d'une augmentation d'imput ou une autre forme d'all6gement en rapport avec cette augmentation s'appliquent cgalement auX augmentations d1itllp6t des municipalit6s de palier infdrietir de cette mu- nicipalit6. (6) Lorsqu'une mtinicipalite de palier inf& rims preWe, $01011 lc taux d'imposition fixts et aux fins d'une nlunicipalite de palier supts- ricur, tin imptit dont 1'augmentation flit Yob- jet d'un report, d'une annulcation ou d'unc autre forme d'allegement, le montant des im- pots qu'elle verse it la mutticipallt6 de palier sup6ricur est reduit en congquence, (6.1) Lorsqu'une municipality do palier in- f6ieur preleve, SCION Ic faUX d'imposition Eix6 et aux fins d'une mullicipalite de palier 805 Applieplion aux Inunlel. PAM&de 1)a. live intdricur Rajustcmeni des tytunlanis trAWfirels pat acs municips- lilt`s do palier iniVricur Wrveruent des impOts reporl6g 1 Ia Iminicipoliid de palier supdrieur Pq