Member clarifies Midland Tax levies.

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We thought the message in the attached letter fitting given the 2013 Town budget process is in full swing.   Interesting how County taxes for Midland have risen much less dramatically than those of the Town, yet County spending is increasing significantly.  One is left to wonder if other communities in the County are bearing the load and to Midland’s advantage?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR   –  Contin should know better

I am responding to former Councillor Judy Contin’s statements about property taxes as reported in the Free Press on October 11th, “Ex-councillor challenges tax hike claims”.

I am a member of Midlandcommunity.ca, a group Ms. Contin characterizes as well-intentioned and well-educated, but apparently misguided when it comes to the Town’s taxes.  So we should examine some undeniable facts about Town taxes.

The Town of Midland collects three separate property taxes.  Each is separately listed on tax bills – a Town of Midland tax, a County tax for the County of Simcoe and an Education tax for the Province of Ontario.  It collects all three property taxes but Midland only sets the rate for the Town tax which covers the Town’s own spending.

In 2000, the Town of Midland tax for the average household was $922.  By 2010, it increased to $1686 – a hike of 82.9%.  Ms. Contin was a member of Town Council every year of this increase but appears to deny this huge increase ever took place.

By comparison to Midland’s own tax, the County tax for the average Midland household increased 31.3% in the same ten-year period and the Education tax remained almost flat.

Ms. Contin suggests Midland’s tax increases have been much lower than 82.9%.  She blends Midland’s own tax increases with much smaller increases for County and Education and talks about “total taxes”.  As a Council veteran she knows full well Midland Council has no part in setting County or Education taxes.  She knows the only tax she ever had control over rose 82.9% in 10 years – not 4% a year as she suggests.

She should also recognize that any business or person thinking about relocating to Midland will want to know about property taxes and many will avoid Midland because the “total taxes” on new development in Midland are the very highest in Simcoe County.

Our record of virtually no growth confirms that Midland’s own tax rates are deterring growth within our Town’s boundaries.  We need elected representatives who recognize the problem, accept the facts and are prepared to work at charting a new course.

We need elected representatives who treat us as adults, give us all the facts and take responsibility for all their decisions – the good ones and also the bad ones.

That way this great Town that we call home can realize its full potential as a place where others also want to locate.

George Dixon

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