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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, March 12, 2014 | 4 Concerns raised by councillors over plan's practicality continued from p.1 In a report to council, Regional staff said at 2.2, the multi-residential tax ratio is at the lower end of the range between 3.22.0, which is intended to achieve tax parity between condominium units and existing multi-residential units. A number of councillors raised concerns about the proposed reduction's practicality and what exactly it would accomplish. Burlington Councillor Jack Dennison cautioned against assuming everyone who rents is low-income and needs help. "Isn't there a range of multi-residential property tenants and owners that go from lower income to quite higher income?" he asked. "We shouldn't automatically assume that everyone in a multi-residential unit is a low- If we want more assisted housing, if we want more rental units -- whatever it is we want -- we've got to learn to think in a targeted and efficient way. Town of Oakville Mayor Rob Burton income person." Dennison also pointed out the proposal would do nothing for low-income residents living in other types of housing like singlefamily homes. "Are we really looking after the needy or the near-needy by making a change to that rate?" he asked. inside today's Editorial Sports Beaver www.insideHALTON.com 6 10 Artscene Classified 9 12 Real Estate, Snuggle Bugz, Lowes Canada, Rolaids, Bouclair, Golf Town, Staples *All flyers not necessarily delivered to all homes Schau said those who are fairly financially sound and rent, typically lease condo units, which she said would not be impacted by her proposed ratio reduction. She also said those who own usually tend to be better off than those who rent. Burlington Councillor Marianne Meed Ward said she supported a reduction in the multi-residential tax ratio stating by doing so would the private sector would be encouraged to build rental housing. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton called the proposed change an indiscriminate, untargeted application of taxpayers' money that would not result in additional rental units. "The relief is passed entirely to the tenant. No benefit attaches to the owner," he said. "I fail to see how giving these people money is going to incentivize these (other) people to build more housing. If we want more assisted housing, if we want more rental units -- whatever it is we want -- we've got to learn to think in a targeted and efficient way." Halton Hills Councillor Jane Fogal argued the Region knows its rental tax ratio is high and should do something about it, particularly when the proposed change would only impact taxpayers owning homes assessed at $100,000 to the tune of around $3 per year. Schau said while the impact of the pro- posed change seems small -- saving the average renter just $16 a month on $1,000 rent --to some people that extra money could mean a lot. "Sixteen dollars would buy quite a lot of food. A dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, 900 grams of spaghetti, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a pound of hamburger, two pounds of apples, a can of tuna and a head of lettuce," she said. "Sixteen dollars would buy a senior a monthly bus pass through the Region's SPLIT (Subsidized Passes for Low Income Transit) program. A senior in Oakville could buy one and have $7 left over. Sixteen dollars could make the difference in whether a family had to visit a food bank or enable a senior to visit friends, go to the doctor or go shopping more often." Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring, Burlington Councillor Paul Sharman and Oakville Councillor Jeff Knoll all agreed the issue needs to be examined in greater detail. The Multi-Year Tax Policy Strategy update, containing the 2.2 ratio, was ultimately approved with only Meed Ward, Fogal and Milton Councillor Colin Best voting against it. 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