by SUSAN MANN
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture recommends the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation use a different model to determine farm property values.
Currently there aren’t enough farm sales in many areas “to get a real value on land,” says president Mark Wales, who met with MPAC board chair Dan Mathieson earlier this week. The federation also made the same presentation to the parliamentary assistant for Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa.
Farmland in Ontario is assessed based on farmer-to-farmer sales and according to the farmland’s productive value. MPAC is the organization in Ontario that does property assessments across the province. The assessments are used by municipalities to calculate property taxes.
“We’re proposing some different models on how they can get more of an average value rather than values that are all over the map,” says Wales, noting the presentations to various officials is in preparation for the pre-provincial budget submission both the federation and MPAC will be making.
Wales says many of the changes the federation is suggesting are “operational changes.”
Wales says he can’t get into more details about what they’re suggesting because it first has to be presented as part of the pre-budget process. BF
Comments
This could also be applied to Industrial property where there aren't enough sales in the area.
Under the Farm Business Organozation Act, farm organizations may speak on behalf of registered farm businesses.
There are literally thousands of farm owners that for one reason or another, are barred from registering with a farm organization as these farmers are deemed not to be engaged in farming busunesses as defined under the Act.
Therefore thousands of farm owners are excluded from representation.
These farm owners will be affected by any change in farm property assessment yet have no legislated voice to express their concerns.
Under the farm business registration act, the OFA does not speak for agriculture. The OFA has the legislative right to speak on farm BUSINESS concerns for their members.
It's time for a voice for the thousands of lfarm land owners to have a legislative right to allow their concerns to be heard.
joann vergeer
How would you rate them at that ?
Not sure why it is felt to be a secret . What they should be presenting should have been discussed with their PAC members before moving it further . Seems to smack of their grassroot engagement and the grassroot members do not know any thing and are capable .
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