Puslinch council has decided not to support a City of Cambridge resolution calling on the provincial government to help delay the phase-in of MPAC property assessments by a year.
Last year, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation completed its first reassessment in three years, with increases to be phased in over four years: 2009 to 2012.
Since MPAC notices were distributed last year, some economic experts and elected officials have asked for the assessments to be put off a year, citing concerns with the global economic crisis.
Councillor Susan Fielding said township could support the Cambridge motion because a lot of Puslinch residents are likely upset with their new assessment. She added current values may have been accurate when the houses were assessed last year, but not now with the current state of the economy.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer said the MPAC assessments will have little effect on the township, as the municipality has to raise the same amount for the 2009 budget regardless.
Mayor Brad Whitcombe said the reassessments will not have a huge impact on the township’s portion of the tax bill, which is less than 20%, but on the school board and county portions, there may be an impact.
Councillor Don McKay agreed and said it likely won’t make much difference if the township supports the Cambridge resolution to suspend assessment increases.
There was no mover and seconder for a resolution in support of the Cambridge letter.
