The folks living in Howick twp. Are about to have it real tough , and just like so many other rural municipalites it's a direct effect of provincial policy
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=549714
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The folks living in Howick twp. Are about to have it real tough , and just like so many other rural municipalites it's a direct effect of provincial policy
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=549714
Matt,
would this been slightly less of a problem if Howick had participated in amalgamation 20 years ago?
No comment, dead horse, were just "whiners" etc, etc, etc, etc.
Wonders
if with land taxes increasing 20%, Hydro 40%, produce 7.5%, more taxes like ORPP (possibly carbon taxes) and more in fees increasing…..
Will those people will be flocking to WT, eating less healthy, seeing quality of life slip,
or reaching for Cr cards
or pay down down their debt,
or do things for their kids, be they team sports, or extra curricular, or nice clothes…or….so their kids don't end up…..
or reach for Cr cards.
Or live more thrifty…lower quality of life, less $ for Ms Wynne (Consumer taxes) …and less going back to the economy
Or reach for Cr cards.
with less and less and less discretionary money.
and on and on.
Want to know why the middle class is shrinking? the trends speak for themselves.
Want to know why WT and the likes are exploding, booming….
Want to know why Q of L is slipping?
or why people reach for Cr cards
Cant save and face bleak futures?
and on and on
These are the things the so called champions of the middle class don't see.
lets take a typical family.
This year just for a number out thin air. They have $1,000 less is Discretionary $.
do you cancel your gym membership?
do you put off, replacing the old car?
pull your son out of hockey?
flock to WT but cheap Chinese, and eat less healthy?
reach for Cr cards
try to save?
pay off some debt?
and of coarse, if most of the "middle class" starts spending less.
that means less $ for Ms Wynne
that means less $ keeping everyone employed, getting raises. Growing the economy
"The average resident is looking at a $225, $230 tax increase at this point,” township reeve Art Versteeg tells CTV News.
So the average resident is paying $850 dollars in property tax now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMan
Ahh no
27% of $850=$230Quote:
Originally Posted by trappermatt
According to the audio 3% to 5% for the next 3-4 years for residents if I heard right.
Its always in the context. That could very well mean the Township needs to increase its land tax revenue by an aggregate of 27%Quote:
As things stand now, Howick Township plans to increase property taxes by 27 per cent for 2015.
Read more: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/resident...#ixzz3RYMN9hhj
So keep in mind, the additional say 15% (after 3 or 4 years) per resident is on top of last years 11%Quote:
The average resident is looking at a $225, $230 tax increase at this point,” township reeve Art Versteeg tells CTV NEWS.
The municipal office for Howick Township is seen in Gorrie, Ont., on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015.
After several years of increases around the inflation level, Howick residents were asked to pay an extra 11 per cent in municipal taxes in 2014. This year’s proposed increase is significant higher than that, and Versteeg says he sees two or three more high increases in the cards in coming years
Nice. In the span of 5 years, land taxes will be up 26%
KMan with a nominal increase of $225 per year and 3% hike
The average annual land tax levy is $7,500
$225.00 / 0.03
Read more: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/resident...#ixzz3RYLVzZbB
The numbers just don't add up do they? Its typical media to get our attention saying 27% and $230 which means they are paying average of $850 now. Just like some saying they pay 23 cents per KWH for hydro in Ontario and my bill says I pay average of 9.2 cents. Big difference.
Actually they do add up (providing I heard the audio correctly) and yes the headline is kind of misleading in that case.
Regardless 27% over 4 years is stupid steep.
How many people have seen their income increase by 7%/year
It sounded like 27% this year and that will not be the end of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by JBen
As for the $850 a year average now, it does not matter that yours may be $3000, these people are paying taxes on most likely a lower value property and have a tight budget. This would be no different than your at $3000 a year having an increase or 27%, it is all about what the people there can afford.
Lots of places in Ontario have very low property values. Members of my family were asked to move south due to health but with their farms being appraised at $40,000, yep, that is right, $40K for 250 acres, they would not be able to sell and have a down payment on a townhouse in many SW Ontario cities.
Agreed Fox.
And in many ways that's why I often to try.
A) highlight how things aren't always relative. Take your relatives. Forget the problems moving south and land values. What about their nest eggs/retirement funds.
B) try to illustrate how so much is "tied" in, or for other words ripple effects.
Lets assume your relatives heat their homes with wood, or use it to supplement. Could they handle SW On and 100% Hydro?
Maybe 500 in extra land taxes is the difference between fresh produce, or little Suzy taking dance vs chilling in the park with sk8ter boys, or glued to Netflix because it's only 10/month.
Its 27% this year and 25% each year over the next 3Quote:
Originally Posted by JBen
The tax payer in Howick currently pays 1304.95 per 100,000 of assessment , the 27% is the shortfall in the operational budget ,that is what needs to be raised from the taxpayers to pay the bills.
like I said in the previous post most of this increase is due to provincial reasons ,
1,654,400 was raised for taxes last year, thus 16,544 is 1%
loss of 179,600 in OMPF funding this year
Increase of 46,119 in policing costs this year
just these two items alone are responsible for over 13 % of the increase
it doesn't surprise me that many don't understand how the taxation system works , it seems many in the government would like to keep it this way so the taxpayer doesn't finally revolt after they realize how poorly the people they put in charge of managing their interests have preformed
TM, listen to the audio you linked.Quote:
Originally Posted by trappermatt
According to the audio and the reeve
He clearly says (I went back a 2nd time) 3% to 5% for the next 3-4 years or more for residents
The way he words it.
"Provincial shortfall and police funding that will mean 3-5% for the next 4 years or more".
Now that could mean
Provincial shortfall
and
Police formula that alone accounts for + 3-4% for 4 years...but....
Then the news women after they cut says
27% over the next few years
From written articles
Its always in the context. That could very well mean the Township needs to increase its land tax revenue by an aggregate of 27%. They could be 27% short this year. Doesn't mean they will levy it all at once.Quote:
As things stand now, Howick Township plans to increase property taxes by 27 per cent for 2015
So according to the audio.
+4% per land owner for the next 4 years is 16%
+11% last year clearly not enough.
there could very well be more years of 3-4%, or the rate could increase.
They can likely finance the difference each year.
With respect the comment of the average increase for people this year of $225. and according to the audio which said 3-4%.
$225 / .03 = 7,500 or if you prefer 7,500 x .03 =225
May not mean much of anything
:)
I know Im getting old and whatnot :) but he does clearly say
3 to 5% for the next few years, or more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBen
Ive been getting text messages for the last two days from friends that live there about this and if I could offer any advice to them , sadly like I told them there isn't much they can do , but what I did do was go directly to their budget documents and have a look at them , and like I've posted in the previous post there operating budget is up in the range of 20% not including the county portion of the levy as that is still unknown at this point . Yes they are going to levy the whole portion at once , they have already drained a good portion of reserves to mitigate the previous years increase .
the cuts are just a tip of the iceberg , they already know that they are looking at another 400,000 in OMPF cut in the next couple of years as well as the phase in of the new policing contract at another 117,000 and change .
The residents are looking at 73.89 per 100,000 in assessment change
I was wondering about reserves and their ability to finance.
No matter how you slice or dice it, it's a kick in the gonads for the people. Even if they do spread it out and run "deficits" and finance the difference until such time they are in the black/balanced. Well then you have a bunch of $ financed and need to pay the piper.
Just think about this.
+20% land tax not 27%
Hydro +40%
Produce +6%
ORPP (2%)
plate fees and others..let call that 1% or $500/year
carbon taxes..lets say it adds $500 (.10L and someone typically budgets 5g/year) so another 1% if you earn 50k, and these are just the obvious things "we've" griped about recently
Thats a whole lotta healthy eating, or dance classes, or music lessons or soccer/hockey for kids, or spending on things and growing the economy. Or reaching for Cr cards, and one thing it isn't for sure
Is paying down their own debt or saving for their own retirements.
Like seriously, and some wonder why I ask if they ever look around outside the golden child..sorry golden taranna. Or just who and what is gutting the middle class and our Q of L.
Maybe it's time to revisit farm property tax credit?
Well BW, to that consider this.
75mm allotted in 2015 for wine growers in NoTL.
Had to actually crunch it. So for someone who earns say 50,000.
$225 in additional land taxes
$400 in Hydro ( based on $1,000 hydro budget, mine in a modest bungalow is higher at 180/month)
$1000 to ORPP ( if your much beyond 35 or 40yrs of age it's not going to do much for you)
$250 to misc fees or this or that
$250 to a carbon tax. I drive about 28k/year and get about 10L/100k. So .10L in a carbon will ding about that
*****
- 2,125 out of every affected person's pocket this year in additional taxes
*****
Have to say it. An OPP constable in that area that earns 100k (3rd year constable is around 94k).
+8,500 (yeah, they'll be getting dinged to, but……)
So just right here, a clear as day example of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Or how one side of the teeter totter is going down and one (govt) up and has been since the 70s.
-farm credit and handing 75,000,000 over to NoTL wine growers
-a whole lotta cash for the working stiff and handing it over….
I find it helps when you actually put things in real terms/numbers and what it means for real people.
They may have to look at a few different things to keep afloatQuote:
Originally Posted by B Wilson
Yeah and unfortunately giving people breaks doesn't appear to be one of them. Quite the opposite. I wouldn't hold my breath on QP tabling that.
A few years ago, maybe as far back as 2010 ( I seem to recall threads about Drummond) there were many threads, have been many many threads about the true state of things ( the mess and the economy) and many threads…um, debating…where things were heading..and many threads on how so much is being impacted, "ripple effects". This being one of them.
With various economic factors and the fact they are finally going to start doing more on infrastructure (thats going to cost large).
With various threats be it rating agencies beathing down their necks, or Interest rates
With continued unemployment concerns
With Boomers and the strains on healthcare
With millions of aging Ontarians not having enough saved and near retirement themselves.
I don't think we can afford, let alone expect them to start giving breaks. They are already planning on doing away with the 10% Hydro rebate.
So from everything we've seen so far in the past year.
They show no, little interest in reducing overhead.
They are showing lots of willingness to make everyone pay