Market Value Assessment under attack in Tiny
By Paul Masterson
Market Value Assessment (MVA), a thorny issue, revolves around the changing of the MVA base year from 1980 to 1992. We read elsewhere in this issue of The Tiny Cottager (Fair Tax Commission article) that property tax should not be based on MVA but on more equitable factors such as usefulness of property, unit measure, etc. From experience elsewhere in this province, the effect of MVA will increase most property taxes. True, cottagers will be hit the worst (back lot owners and front lot owners). Specific to Tiny, the effect of restructuring, resulting in immense loss to its commercial tax base, has unfairly loaded the tax burden onto all property owners in Tiny. But until the results of the Fair Tax Commission have been debated by the province, changes in Tiny’s assessment tax base year should be put on hold.
It is our opinion, that the only reason County wants to look at a new base year of MVA is to raise taxes. The higher the assessment base, the fewer provincial grants received by the township. It’s known as “downloading” from the province to the municipality.
The MVA issue erupted in Tiny on a sunny August 13th Saturday morning at the Tiny Council Chamber. It was initiated as Council’s response to many letters received by Council following a report in the Spring/Summer, 1994 issue of the “Tiny Cottager”. Because of the large number of citizens who turned out to this ‘quietly’ publicized meeting, a second meeting has been set for Sept 17, 1994, unfortunately after the publication date of this issue of the Tiny Cottager.
To give you a picture of the distinct reaction and public enthusiasm against MVA demonstrated at the August meeting, we have been given permission by THE OBSERVER newspaper to reprint its report of the meeting. CKVR Television covered the event. But the Midland newspapers ignored it.
See “CITIZENS UNITE TO OPPOSE MVA IN TINY TOWNSHIP” (The Observers’ report) (145)
