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Clarence-Rockland buckling down on tax collection
Scam targets OPP project The OPP is not asking the public for donations to help support its Community Bear Program. Several OPP detachments have received calls from residents asking about emails, letters and phone calls from people claiming to be fundraising for the program. The OPP already has sponsors who provide teddy bears for of- ficers to give to children. Police ask residents to report anyone who contacts them about donating money to the Community Bear Pro- gram. – Gregg Chamberlain An administrative report on this topic was presented to municipal council, last Monday, December 4. Councilors will decide in an upcomingmeeting whether more pre- ventive actions should be taken. La Cité de Clarence-Rockland sera plus sévère à l’égard des contribuables qui payent leurs impôts fonciers en retard. En 2016, les retards ont atteint 3,3 M$. À l’heure actuelle, les contribuables qui accusent trois ans de retard se voient remettre un certificat d’arrérages qui leur alloue une année de plus pour payer la totalité des taxes. Sinon, leurs propriétés seront vendues. En raison des récents changements apportés au projet de loi 68 de l’Ontario, les certificats d’arriérés d’impôts peuvent maintenant être inscrits dans la deuxième année d’impôts impayés, au lieu des trois années initiales. —photo fournie taxes in full. If the taxes remain unpaid once that year is up, their properties will be sold. Of the 63 property owners who received an arrear certificate notice last February, only a dozen have not yet paid.This amounts to $1.6 million collected in less than a year – almost exactly half of what is owed to the City. “People are understanding that we are serious, especially knowing that after three years we can sell their property,” said Cla- rence-Rocklandmayor Guy Desjardins. “This is money that we need.” The larger picture for the City, however, remains how to prevent this fromhappening again in the future. Why people fall behind Among themany reasons people can fall behind on their taxes, loss of employment is the most common, according to a study. Any drastic changes to a person’s lifestyle within a year, usually loss or change of em- ployment, will be a key factor for tardiness in paying taxes. Another explanation is that people tend to overwhelm themselves when deciding a pay- ment plan with the municipality by setting up highmonthly payments that they cannot always meet. According to this source, the appropriate action would be to set up lower amounts that are sure to bemet everymonth and to then pay larger lump sums when one is in a more financially stable position. Tougher measures? City councilors are now trying to decide whether to get even tougher by shortening the three-year grace period to two years. Recent changes to Ontario’s Bill 68, Moder- nizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, now allows municipalities to register tax arrears certificates in the second year of unpaid taxes, instead of the original three years.
ALEXIA MARSILLO alexia.marsillo@eap.on.ca
The City of Clarence-Rocklandwill be get- ting tougher on residents’ tax collection. Over the last few years, the City of Cla- rence-Rockland has admittedly become lax on tax collection, including arrears notices and meetings with taxpayers. Tax arrears, essentially overdue unpaid taxes, reached an unprecedented amount of $ 3.3 million by the end of 2016. As councilors became alarmed over this amount, the City acted. This year, after the City of Clarence- Rockland sent out arrear certificates, people started to get in line. Arrear certificates are sent ance arrears reach three years. Arrear certificates constitute a warning advising tax- payers they have onemore year to pay their
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