AIS - The Canadian Champion, Friday, April 14, 2006 OPIION() MPAC getting much-needed assessment L ocal propert> owners osse Obntario Om)îbudcsm-an Andcîr Marin a debt cof gratitucde. Mai-in, who spelît lise nîionîbs invesnigaiing the Municipal Property Assessrnent Corp. (MPAC), couldn'i bave beeni more scaîbing recenîly in bis report on the governînreni body that sets property salue assessments. Manin said the MPAC bas a 'superiority complex" ibai -engages in cloak, and dagger bebavionr" and "cutîbroat manenvering around property owriers.' To put il bluntly, be said the MPAC bas been sîîcking 1110o Ontanio property owners for ),ears. Thats not news 10 properîy ownrm and critainly not sur- prising tri anyone wbo's fonghî witb the MPAC cîver an assessment. "Neyer in the 30-year bistor>' of Ibis office bave so many complainîs beeri received in so short a period about a single public ageney," said Marin, adding bie bad beard fromn more than 3,700 disgmunnled property owners. Key among Marns 22 recominendations is that the MPAC sbould rely less on its mass appraîsal computer sys- temr wben setting properîy, values and dealing Aith appeals. Having an assessor vîsit to locus on charactenisties specîfie 10 a property would be far more [air. As well, wben a property owner appeals an assessmreni the MPAC sbould prove wby the assessed value is correct instead of the current unjust system where tbe owner must prove wby ils wrong. An attitude adjusîmient at the MPAC is also required, accordîng to Marin, who likened challenging an MPAC assessiment to a 'David vs. Goliath mismaîb. "The MPAC treats tbe taxpayer and properîy owvner as tbe adversary"- said Marin. The Minîstry of Finance and the MPA(I bave agreed to imiplement 18 cof the recommiendlations iinnsiedîaicls and sîîîdy the remaînîng four. In the wake of Marins report, Finance Minîsier DwNigbt Durican arinounced the Marcb 31 deadline for appealing assessments bas been exîended 90 days, and ibat bie takes Matins recommendations "ver>' senionsly"- Too bad no one took a "serions" look at bow the MPAC operated before Marin. Readers Write,,,,- Senid us your lettars to rmiltoned@haltonsearch oem or drop theri off at 875 Main St. E More help nieeded for our farmers (The jollowing letter was adduresscr'd i0 Hilt<în MPP Ted (hudl'igh, and a copv ivas file.d with The ("Iiiomepioîii DEAR EDITOR: My family and 1have on!>' lived here less than a y-car, having moved lrom Sudbury lasi lune. Driving around Halton, sve appreciate not onlv tbe beauty of the larias, but also the biard ssork ihat [amiers put intoinaintaining a susiainable living. The food 1 leed My familv is of pfi- mary importance 10 me, 1 do my best to support local farmers and purchase qualiiy food. Please ensure that the provinces farmers get the aid they need, s0 thai they tan compete with farmners south of tbe border who receive nmillions, if not billions. of dollars in govemnmeni aid. ODur gos emmient so willingly uses our lax dollars îo support people Who don't work, aind here we have a group of people 'aho worl, so biard eacb and esery day, io pros ide sncb a valuable sýervice and thîe\ bave ici liîerally, beg lii lînancial aid. 1 vait tbe produce and the meai 1 bu>' to be locallv grow'n as mnucb as pos- sible, and I m suire inosi people fecel tbe samie way. 1 hope y'ou cati do everyîbîng pcossible to kecep our farms in business. NANCY DENI SOMERVILLE TERRACE Ecltorsdes]k Nwribers may flot show it, but I think crime is on the mse It sure seems like crime is increasing liere, especially incidents of a violent nature. Laîely our news pages bave heen filled with occurrences like, most disturbngly, a 13-year-old Milton girl being lured on the Internet by man miaking sexually suggestive comments. And late last month, a Campbellville man was robbed at gunpoint in bis driveway, while a teenaged babysitter looking afîer an infant was confronted by home intruders brandîsbmng a machete. Then there was a loaded handgun fouand in a car stopped on the highway, a man bit ,witb a baseball bat in a park and a gas station robbery - ail in tbe last few weeks. And the people comiiasg, tbe crimes seem to be more bold, as we saw Apnil 3 wlien a suspect was caught in tbe act trying to break into a vebicle during rush hour at Hwy. 407 and Britannia Road. He explained tbat since it stmply doesn't While some of the incidents were domes- make sense that crime is down wiîb the pop- tic, many were random, acts where ulation increasing so rapidly, any member of thse public could sometbing else must be aI work bave been in jeopardy. here. And tbat sometbing else, Itfs not a good feeling. Are we lie believes, is tlsat many crimes losing. tlie relatively safe commu- are just not being reported. nity Milton lias enjnyed for soiIi esn ortah as long the peuirtin s hl vary but one is that sometimes But Isepeclia tling s, hul Ilpeople donitîhink police cana do crime sure seems like it's increas- anything about thse crime com- ing, the statistics don't show a rise ' ~ mitted against themn, soi tbey in crime overaîl. In fact, the num- -don't bother t0 report it. bers show crime is actually on the Or they thi.nk the crime was downturn in Milton. too petty to boîher police witb. Thtis strange plienomena was addressed But Sgt. Glen Randaîl made a point we ail by Halton Regional Police Superintendent must remnember Its important to report ail Joe Taylor duning a recent meeting of the cit- crime because mrany times police can indeed izen-based Milton Community Poticing do something about it like possibly lay more Commitîee, of wliicb I'im a member charges on a repeat offender lEr anaian QDampion Mliton's (Somms iy Ne spape Sinco 1860 875 Main St. E. Miton, Ont. L9T 3Z3 905-878-2341 Editonial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertismng Fax: 905-876-2364 Ctassified:905 875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 Publisher: Ian Oliver Associate Pubtisher Heil Oliver Advertising Director Woody McNab Managing Editor Karen Smith Production Manager Ml'm Cales Circulation Manager Charlene Hall Office Manager Teii Casas The Canadian Champion, psîblished every Tuesday and Friday ait 875 Main St t., Milton, Ont, 191 3Z3 (Box 248), is one of lthe Metroland Ptniing, Publishing & Diitibmîting Lili, community nemespapers. Adesins'g s acceptesnor. th condibn thl nîss e een cia rflph9ids etro tia portioniflte adîerng sacîîe upedby thfs Prrnecuite 5n Isether nss a reassnais miSsiace for s550 tue ,dnot ie chargetfi bu th i15ase 91 hedvtsmennsil se pasi fos i at pp'sble rate The pusher resenen the sghi t atenn'îz@acsesms0,snecsn CCAB Audited A~'t Oaio omun Nâc a ewspiapefs Asîs oton Newspapers Association __ Sn5brn Newspapers Cl n isss n i fi)l m iedia spcsuîlsol for, UNIE DWAYk OF MILON -- TY AUCTION Sho0w ae ton _ _ _ _ _ _. mi ffl à