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WHITBY FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY JANUAI Re-alssessment wi]l affect'too many people too soon Drumrn hlieves West Ward- Councillor Joe Drumm is flot exac- tly pleased with the way the provincial govern- ment is conducting pro- perty re-assessment. Drumm said last week that the re-assess*- ment wiIl affect too many people, too hard, too soon. Recently, the Ontario Mînistry of Revenue has conducted re-assess- mnents on 1,000 proper- ties in the W hitby, Pickering and Oshawa areas. These re-assessments were done to homes whose values had- in- creased by more than $2,500 over the last ten yaers, because of im- provements such as the construction of recréa- tion rooms or the install- ation of swimming pools. However, Drumm admitted that some of the re-assessment was needed. "I think 7that re- assessment is probably necessary but I also think that there are many people who will be adversely affected right away, " he said.' He also found himself with recent statements by Revenue Minister and Durham West MPP George Ashe who said that many property homneowners are not paying their fair share of property taxes. "I found t hat the minister saying some are flot paying their fair share h as a. grain of truth in it," Drumm said. He also pointed out that the older parts of Whitby will be the most affected by re-ass.ess- ment. "The core of town, -the older part of town* is . going to take the brunt of this," Drumm said adding that many of these homeowners are senior citizens and other people who may not be able to absorb the tax increase. At the last meeting of Whitby Town Council, Drumm urged that the regional assessment THRIFT BOX ONLY $ 5M5O et1 cinZtba FA M1LY' BUCKET ONLY .$~8m5O commissioner, Walter Purneli, be invited to appear before council to explain the system. The councillor would also like to see an infor- mation nîght held s0 that the public can have their'questions answer- ed. 0f the eight munici- palities in'thëe-regino, only three .- Whitby, Oshawa and Pickering - have not b een ."Sec- tioned 86ed," that is, have not gone to market. value assessment. The last known com- plete assessment of Whitby was conducted in 1944. Therefore, soepeople are stili paying property taxes based on the assessed value of their home in that year. Local politicians have been resisting the idea of market Value assess- ment believing that it would adversely affect the town's industrial base. However, if al the facts were, known Drumm said he could FROM FEBRUARY 15TH TO FEBRUARY 28TH 1 Bring this coupon to your nearby Kentucky Fried Qiicken Store for a Thrifi Box with nine pieces of good chicken.2 I And save 7 FROM FEBRUARY 15TH TO FEBRUARY 28TH I~mENU 5ave I------------------------------------ support a move to Sec- tion 86.' "I think in fairness, I would support that move but not.without seriously looking at it," he said. .".Somebody's got to bite the bullet but before we bit the bullet, I want to see ail the informa- tion." He also takes excep- tion to Ashe's statement whereby he claimed that the re-assessment Was done at the request of the municipalities., "In my five years on council, I do not recal asking for re-assess- ment," he said.. Oshawa Mayor Allan Pilkey recently claimed, that the re-assess-'- would probably giveëthe provincial go.vernment a means by which to reduce its grants to the municipalities. Ashe said recently that: this was not true, but Drumm feels that Pilkey could be right in some ways. "I think that probably the provincial govern- ment would have an out," he said. "lIt's another way of getting more municipal financ- ing without giving more grants."1 Drumm described assessment as a conten- - -tious issue, but can see no immediate solution to the problem. ."There are some people in this communi- ty who are goi 'ng to take a real beating on this Drumm also pointed out that these people will face two property tax increases, this year. One will be due to re- [SYS assessment ana the other'because of in- creases in the mili rate levied by the town, the region and the board of education. a buyor for items you want Io sIlils a... CLASSIFIÈD AD CALL 6686111 WHITBY FREE PRESS .1 During our Janury Sale Save $ 100.00 on thicair Reg. $339 THE PERFECT CHAIR FOR ANYWHERE. Quality and styling that fits in beautifully with your lifestyle. be it in the living room, den or to f iii an awkward corner. Corne in and see for yourself and while you are here look at al our storewide savings of 200/ and more! Save even more Buy a pair and save an additional- 5% Store ourcs &Mon. to SCt- 9-6. Wed &Fri- Fveninrc~ is I 30f nm. nà4 entio