Towns in northwestern Ontario are being asked to back a new residential property tax rate.
The Township of Hornepayne is pushing for this idea.
It aims to implement a lower tax rate in communities with populations under 5,000 to encourage new housing development and attract more residents.
Chief Administrative Officer Manuela Batovanja notes there’s plenty of land available that remains undeveloped due to the area’s current tax rates.
“We’re stuck with a lot of vacant land. This land is serviced. There’s water, there’s sewer, there’s electricity. Everything we need, it’s either vacant or has dilapidated houses on it,” says Batovanja.
“Nobody wants to move to the north to build because our tax rates are too high.”
Batovanja shared this proposal with Atikokan council earlier this week.
She believes it would give the township flexibility in determining a suitable rate for its needs.
“What it would do is allow you, if somebody was to come in and build a home, to reduce the assessment or the rate on that home by whatever percentage is feasible for your town,” says Batovanja.
Hornepayne is seeking support for this initiative.
Batovanja mentioned she briefly spoke with provincial Finance Minister Peter Bethlanfalvy about the idea at a recent municipal gathering, who encouraged her to reach out to his staff.
Randy Thoms is a veteran news broadcaster with over 40 years’ experience. He is based in Fort Frances and covers stories across northwestern Ontario. Contact Randy at thoms. randy@radioabl. ca.
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