PROPERTY TAX UPDATE

Property taxes are a major concern for our members. They are a most important cost to those of us who live or own property on and around lakes. Property tax is one of the few taxes that does not take in account the ability to pay—such as income taxes, or relate directly to the consumption of goods or services—GST, Garbage Bag tags, etc. As such to many of us it is an unfair and undemocratic tax.

In the last property assessment our members saw assessments that bore little relation to actual property values and that increased in many cases by 40% plus from the last assessment. Some assessments doubled!

When we complain about the impact on our members, many of whom are on fixed incomes, some politicians tell us that if we don't like the taxes we can move. What they don't understand is that to many of us these properties have been in our families for generations. Our kids and grand children learned to swim or canoe in these lakes. These are not just pieces of land and buildings. To many of us these properties embody our dreams and hopes for future generations.

The Maple Beech and Cameron Lakes Area Property Owners Association has been an active supporter of WRAFT - Waterfront Ratepayers After Fair Taxation. Please visit their website and sign their petition.

www.wraft.com