CAPTR

• « News Index

Report to the Membership of CAPTR and WRAFT

October 24, 2006

On October 23 at a Queens Park news conference, Michael Prue, NDP MPP presented the Report of the NDP Task Force on Assessment and Property Tax. They will submit the recommendations in their report to their upcoming convention in January with a view to establishing policy for the fall 2007 provincial election. The report calls for a freeze in assessments at the 2005 level until a residential property is sold or major improvements are made. It also calls for the shifting of social service costs, estimated at $3.1 billion per year, from property tax to income tax over the next ten years. Thirdly it recommends a seasonal class who call on less services and could be granted a lower tax rate at the option of the municipality.

Representatives of CAPTR/WRAFT were present at the news conference and CAPTR issued a press release which is shown below. The release stresses the real recommendations for reform now being made by senior representatives of both opposition parties and urges the government to move ahead with reforms. "We strongly urge that the moratorium be used by the government to debate and implement reforms before the 2008 assessment devastates Ontario homeowners."

Coalition After Property Tax Reform (CAPTR) Welcomes NDP Task Force Report

October 23, 2006

TORONTO — The Coalition After Property Tax Reform (CAPTR) welcomes the report released today by the Ontario NDP Task Force on Assessment and Property Tax.

"The report clearly recognizes four serious areas of concern with the present property tax regime: the downloaded social service costs, the implementation of the Ombudsman's recommendations, the impact of the present system on low income residents and the need for modification to the present volatile and inequitable basis for distributing property taxes to Ontario," says CAPTR spokesperson Bob Topp.

Both opposition parties at Queen's Park have now proposed steps to address the fundamental unfairness in Ontario's property tax regime.

"While the Liberal government has introduced a two year moratorium on assessments, it has not promised any serious reforms, which we believe are needed now," adds Topp.

"We strongly urge that the moratorium be used by the government to debate and implement reforms before the 2008 assessment devastates Ontario home owners," says Topp.

CAPTR believes the downloaded social service costs should be removed as soon as possible from property tax. It supports the full implementation of the Ombudsman's recommendations. To deal with the volatility and fundamental inequity in the present system for taxing residential properties, CAPTR has proposed a cap of 5% on annual assessment increases.

CAPTR is an Ontario-wide coalition of ratepayer, senior and municipal groups and represents close to one million Ontario citizens. It is actively lobbying for property tax reform.

For more information on the Task Force recommendations go to www.ouchassessment.ca.

• « News Index