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Whltby Free Press, Wecfresday, JuIy 20, 1994. page 13 Coucilaccuses province of tax ga By .Milce Kowalski A new provincial user fee could cost Whitby ratepayers more than $100,000 on next year's tax bill. As a result, Town council is demanding that .Ontario Trea- surer FloydI Laughren rescind what it decries as nothing but a "atax grab» by a financially des- perate governmnent. Council last week objected to a recently-imposed fee for ail sup- plementary tax assessments con- ducted by the province. Prior to July 1, the finance ministry provided this service te municipalities and sehool boards for free., But last month, the Town was advised that the ministry would be charging fées of either $50 or $120,1 depending on the type of service renderedi. Supplementary asseasments are t hose performed on new or altered homes and businesses after the ministry has submitted its annual assessment list. The $50 fee will be charged if a tax assessor does not have to visit the site. The higher Ievy applies if an inspection is required. Although the ministry predicts the average charge ver property will be $100, Town oficiais cdaimi it wilI be.nluch higher. According to a treasury depart- ment report, only fave of the 804 supplementary assessments per- formed in Whitby in 1993 would have-involved a.$50 fee. Had the new policy been in place Iast year, it would have cost the Town more than $105,000 or $3-$7 on the average tax biHl, the report states. "This government is once again downloading on municipa- ities, " charged an angry council- lor Dennis Fox. "Here we have 'a government that bas overspent and now expects every municipality te bail themn out. It's really unfair,» ho said. A letter from the ministry notes that supplementary asgss- ments produced an additional $250 million revenue for Ontario municipalities and school boards Bi g Brothers cornmittee members wanted The Big Brothers Association of Oshawa-Whitby needs committee members interested in organizing activities for Little/ Big Brothers, publicity and recruitment, fundraising, human resources and board development as well as members te sit on its board of directors. lok-inag>ra nixrchallenge, theài- in 1993. But the staff reportp oints out thlat this money is reuently used te, replace taxes which must be written off by the municipa- lity. The fée is expected te cost municipalites $18 million annually, the report states, while noting that local councils must bear the full impact. Fees cannot be- passed on to school boards or upper-tier muni- cipalities (Durhami Region), even thou&h the two- school boards gnd Region wiIl receive more than 76 per cent of the additional taxes levied in Whitby. Claiming that this was another example of local politi- cians being hurt by the pro- vince's fiscal mismanagement, Fox said New Democrat MPPs wilI net be the ones te suifer. "It won't be them on the front Unes in November (municipal election) it will be us," said Fox. "Whetber I win or lose, rll work to ensure they are nover elected again,» he promised. Councillor John Doîstra wan- ted te take it Ã"ne step further. "I think the minister (Laugh- ren) should step down,» said Dol- stra. «They must be eut of their minds. They're not happy until we are on our knees," he added. Mayor Tom Edwards, a veteran NDP supporter, shared their concern. He referred te a section of the staff report which noted that the hast time the province attempted to "gain in-roads» into property taxes was the ill-fated Gommer- ,Ulmo THE NOT SO SMALL PRINr. *Based on 36 month lease for Cavalier VIL Coupe/Sedan equipped as descnibed. Down payment of $1 ,486/$2,099 is required. 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