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15 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, July 8, 2009 An Open Letter to Gary Carr, Chair es From Peter Gilgan, CEO Mattamy Hom of Halton Region Dear Chair Carr: is mine. Politics is your business, building homes many many hundreds of Mattamy employees and For more than 30 years now, together with es over 13,000 award-winning family hom s of skilled trades-people, we've built well thousand others ed some families get their start in life and in Halton Region. My company has help move up to the home of their dreams. t. limelight. But I can no longer remain silen Through the years, I've stayed out of the ition to on new homes by $8,000. That's in add Halton Region proposes to raise taxes that 12 months and the $9,000 tax increase your tax increase of $8,000 over the last Oakville is currently proposing. Town of years, the combined Halton Region and If this increase goes through, in just five any increase d from $24,981 to $63,813 without Oakville new home tax will have increase in the services provided. e time. justifies an increase that large in so littl That's a tax hike of 155 per cent. Nothing inary, Council had to by-pass the Ontario In fact, the $8,000 tax hike is so extraord such taxation. Development Charge legislation enabling n't add up. are twice as high as in Durham? It just does How can you justify new home taxes that home far exceeds the costs of new growth. Another tax increase of $8,000 per new development. pay taxes to support growth and new I agree, existing taxpayers should not rates will go out another tax increase on new homes, But, it is irresponsible to suggest that with because to hike property taxes. But it will not be existing taxpayers. You may well decide up for 't prepared to pay their fair share. homebuilders and new homeowners aren nd the reach the dream of new home ownership beyo If this tax increase is approved, it will put up in our younger couples and families who grew of many average families. It will mean that And it will mean that else to afford a new home. community will have to move somewhere away from n size to a new home will have to move seniors and "empty nesters" looking to dow their friends, kids and grandchildren. tax increase need for funding development, this new Finally, whatever might be said about the and estimates. pre-recession budget assumptions was proposed last year using out-of-date, to the new es and families have all had to readjust Governments around the world, business economic reality. same? Shouldn't the Region of Halton do the on new home owners. Let's think twice about increasing taxes Sincerely, Peter E. Gilgan CEO, Mattamy Homes F (905) 829-2002 T (905) 829-2424 6m5 e , o a k v i l l e , o n ta r i o l 6 h 2360 bristol circl