Dear Editor,
Recently the people of the Pontiac seem to find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Tax evaluations have been presented for 2025-2027 based on inaccurate and unfair assessments. Because of this a “370% Evaluation Taskforce”, numerous petitions and an MRC special committee have been created to work out some kind of reasonable solution to the problem. Not to discount any of these efforts but really? Will we see any results while the ball remains in the hands of our government?
We will most certainly still be charged the 2025 taxes, and the MRC will still collect municipal shares from their municipalities that reflect these illegitimate evaluations while we wait for any of these wheels to turn it around.
And once they finally do come to some sort of decent solution, when will that be? Will citizens get their refunds? Will the municipalities get their money back? Somehow, I don’t think so.
These elected officials are supposed to be here to support their citizens in times like this, but instead they form committees to stall over a solution and give us Mr. Grinch-styled answers.
Citizens of the Pontiac, here is how to take your power back:
Bring this fair resolution to your next municipal meeting to adopt and immediately deal with this terrible tax problem. Any regular person can attend and present this to their council to vote on:
The Municipality of _________________ , Quebec
Resolves to:
- Ban the comparative factor as part of the formulation of their municipal tax assessments
- Invoke a reasonable municipal tax increase cap (for example 6 per cent)
- Give citizens of their municipality the ability to grieve their tax assessments and pay the equivalent of their 2024 taxes until a proper re-formulation of the 2025 – 27 municipal taxes can be achieved.
- Municipalities pay MRC Pontiac the equivalent of the 2024 municipal shares until a proper re-formulation of the 2025 – 27 municipal taxes can be achieved.
Best wishes to you all powerful regular people of the Pontiac. You can do this. I believe in you.
Christine Anderson (regular person also), Thorne, Quebec
