Dear Premier Wynne,
I am a seasonal property owner in Haliburton County and I would like to voice my
objection to what appears to be an unfair Tax increase proposed by your government as
part of the OPP Billing Reform. My understanding is that this tax increase is being proposed
under the guise of a new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) funding model.
It is said, that within the 2012 annual report of the Auditor General of Ontario, the following
information was included, in brief:
1.Ontario has the highest per capita pricing cost in the country
2.the overall cost of OPP services from municipalities from 2007 to 2011 increased an average of
29% for those with contracts and 19% for those without
3. OPP charges to municipalities is complex and onerous for both the force and municipalities
4. a per capita costing methodology is not a substitute for dealing with unsustainable increases
in policing costs.
Further more, it is said, some municipalities have too small a population and too small of a tax
base to afford the new formula, which results in some of the 324 rural municipalities facing an
increase in policing cost of 3 to 5 times the present day cost.
As an example, in Haliburton County, the proposed funding model will result in tax increases,
over and above normal tax increases, in 2015 of:
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36% in Algonquin Highlands (the area in which our seasonal property in located)
33 % in Dysart
25% in Highlands East and
20% in Minden Hills.
The total cost increase and therefore tax increase in the 4 municipalities of Haliburton County
could be $5.2 million dollars.
I brought this issue to my local MPP . From my discussion with their office the Progressive
Conservatives introduced the ‘Capacity to Pay Act’ in the Ontario Legislature this session but the
Bill was defeated by the Liberals and the NDP.
I strongly object to this proposed funding model. It seems totally unfair. As a citizen of
Ontario I do not object to paying my fair share for services rendered including policing. Let me
just add that as a retiree my pension is NOT indexed to the cost of living.
I respectfully ask that this proposal be withdrawn for further thought and consultation.