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all PEE 4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, June 20, 1989 Ratepayers mad about tax hikes (From page 1) Mr. Frew said the calls he received on the tax hikes came from a cross section of people, from all walks of life and income levels. A spokesman with the pro- vincial assessment office in Whitby, confirmed that under market value assessment, some properties are facing tax hikes in the 20 to 40 per cent range. Market value assessment, he said, reflects the value of properties in 1984 based on ac- tual transactions between a "willing seller and a willing buy- er." He said in Scugog about 120 assessment appeals will be heard by the Review Board in August. But property owners who have not already started the as- sessment appeal process are out of luck this year. The spokesman said that when the assessment notices went out in January, the num- ber of people attendinginforma- tion meetings was about aver- age. Scugog Mayor Howard Hall told the Star Monday morning that he has received just three phone calls since the final tax bills went out, from people complaining about the increases. Treasurer Kathleen Harp- er said her department is get- ting about six calls per day, though not all are complaints, some are just for general tax in- formation. Mayor Hall defended mar- ket value assessment as treat- ing all ratepayers "equally." And he noted that market value re-assessment by itself does not generate more tax rev- enue for local government or school boards. For each proper- ty assessed upwards, he said, there was one assessed down by the same amount. And the Mayor said that properties that were assessed upwards this year were under- assessed in previous years. "Somebody else had been pick- ing up the tax tab for them," he stated. As for the 14.8 per cent mill rate increase (16 per cent for those Township residents who get municipal garbage pick-up) the Mayor noted that provincial grants this year to local govern- ment were frozen at last year's levels. He said residents of the Township are getting value for their tax dollars, citing such things as road maintenance, snow plowing, police and fire protection, parks and recrea- tional facilities, social services (at the Regional level) As for plans by the Town- ship to develop new facilities ic 4 as a pool or second ice pad, the Mayor said the Township must at least start making the plans. A new municipal building is needed. The current offices on Perry Street, he said, are 30 years old, completely out of date and not suited to the needs of the Township. But he noted that the coun- cil has not made any commit- ments to new recreational facil- ities or a new Township office. The Township treasurer told the Star that if ratepayers hold back their taxes, they will pay a penalty (1.25 per cent per month) and the Township has the clout to go after taxes owing through legal action, if neces- sary. The mill rate increase in Scugog this year of 14.8 per cent includes local hikes of ten per cent, regional increase of 19 per cent and school board increases of about 15 per cent. One irate taxpayer in Scu- gog has taken the time write a long and detailed letter to the paper about his taxes. See let- foe page in this edition of the tar. -- NOTICE -- WILLY & SON SMALL ENGINE REPAIRS have relocated to Lilla Street North, (west side, across from Castle Harbour) Former premises of Schildt Manufacturing. 285-3192 A great honour Les and Zona Parkes (at right) received the ACT-CO Presidents award (Ontario). the highest award for service, dedication and contributions to local theatre. The Parkes have worked with the Borellans in Port Perry for many years, and Borelian president Dave Ellis presented them with a porcelain figurine on behalf of the local group. The presentation took place at the Borelains annual meeting last week at which the subscription serles for the coming season was announced. Death of a Salesman, Brighton Beach Memoirs and a Festival of one act dramas will be presented in the coming year. Region is still worried about retirement lots A large number of farmers " granted retirement lots in 1986- 87 continued to own the farm from which the lot was severed, according to a report prepared by the Durham Region Plan- ning Department. "Given the large number of vacant retirement lots and the large number of farm parcels still owned by retiring farmers, it appears that the spirit of the Region's policy (governing farm - retirement lots) may not be sat- isfied," states Mofeed Michael, commissioner of planning in Durham. ~~ He goes on to state that if a retirement lot has been granted for the intended purpose, then there should not be any vacant retirement lots or retiring farm- ers maintaining ownership of the farm parcel. The report shows that in 1986, there were 83 retirement lots granted to farmers in Dur- ham Region. Two years later, 55 of them, The GATE FAMILY RESTAUARANT & TAVERN BANQUET FACILITIES AVAILABLE Open 7 Days a Week 8:30 AM to 9 PM PORT PERRY PLAZA Phone 985-8686 VARIETY OF BREAKFAST SPECIALS N! -- Monday to Thursday -- SPAGHETTI All you can eat spaghetti with garlic bread, soup & coffee ........ 5 9 5 -- Friday & Saturday -- SHRIMP All you can eat - includes soup, 7 4 5 French fries, dinner roll & coffee " or 66 per cent, continued to own the farm parcel. And fourteen of the retire- ment lots had been sold, while 656 others remained vacant. In 1987, there were 56 re- tirement lot severances. And 44, or 79 per cent of the farmers continue to own the farm par- cel. The report says that 46 of the lots remain vacant and nine had been sold. Durham Region is in the process of a review of all rural planning and land use policies. And: the provisions that al- low bona fide farmers to sever a retirement lot are included {in that review. The Commissioner's re- port, which was presented to Regional council last week, says the intent of the Region's retire- ment lot policy is to allow bona fide farmers alot when the actu- rally retire from farming. And it is expected that the remainder of the farm will be sold with the farmer using the money from the sale to support himself in his retirment. PALMER PARK WATER STREET - PORT PERRY Enjoy an afternoon of entertainment in Palmer Park on beautiful Lake Scugog. Pack yourself a picnic lunch, bring your lawn chair and take part in an good "olde fashioned" Port PerryBandshell Concert