On Sept. 18, the 370 per cent property evaluation task force and many residents of Alleyn and Cawood attended the MRC Pontiac meeting, expecting the presentation and adoption of a bylaw we proposed to eliminate the comparative factor in the calculation of municipal shares. This bylaw is crucial to reduce the financial burden on municipalities across the Pontiac and to prevent future injustices tied to inflated property assessments.

Yet again, we were met with delays and evasions. Last month, the bylaw was removed from the agenda by the MRC with no explanation, despite the fact that the MRC and mayors had been briefed in full by the task force with an ability to ask questions, and they knew we were pushing for its presentation as a soon as possible because it’s budget prep season. Not only did they remove it from the agenda in August, but they also failed to provide any transparency on whether they are editing it, what changes are under consideration, or when it will be discussed. Then, at the most recent MRC meeting, they held the question period from residents before giving us any relevant information, keeping the public in the dark.

We were not prepared for another month of delays – nobody told us it would not be addressed. This week though, it is no longer just an Alleyn and Cawood issue. New property evaluations posted across the MRC Pontiac show that most municipalities are now facing doubled property values without warning. The problem is now one for every mayor in the MRC Pontiac, and they can’t afford to ignore it.
Some property evaluations are lower thanks to a summer of extreme pressure from the Alleyn and Cawood task force, but they are still hovering at double. It’s better than a 370 per cent hike, but some vacant properties have seen increases of over 500 per cent, while others are undervalued—further proof of how flawed and outdated the comparative factor is provincially. We are proud of our partial victory in lowering the numbers but they are still too high and far too fast for people or municipalities to adjust.

Even worse, the MRC is still trying to charge Alleyn and Cawood on a fake 370 per cent evaluation, despite the revised property assessments posted this week. Their argument is that this will not benefit the other municipalities of the MRC. The MRC has an accumulated surplus of over $1.3 million per their own audited financial statements, and they could easily tap into these funds instead of charging municipalities based on inflated evaluations and fake numbers. Yet, they continue to delay, deflect and manipulate the process, pushing the burden onto ratepayers and municipalities.

Warden Jane Toller’s leadership has been disappointing at best. She passed the responsibility to the province, and even had the nerve to take credit for our petition to the National Assembly, a petition she had no role in. Mayors have not taken this seriously to date, and now they are facing many calls from angry residents who just saw their new numbers.

The decision on this bylaw must be made by the mayors and it cannot be stalled further by the MRC administration. The mayors have a responsibility to their communities, and they need to step up. At this point, most municipalities in the Pontiac are now directly affected, and ignoring the issue will only make things worse.

The comparative factor is a 50-year-old system that needs to be eliminated. Applying it could bankrupt ratepayers, and it also forces municipalities to cut services to balance their budgets when they have to reduce the mill rate to soften the blow. This outdated and unfair process must be eliminated, and the mayors need to lead that fight.

At election time, voters should remember who fought for their interests and who hid behind delays and stall tactics. In my humble opinion, it’s time for Jane Toller and the mayors to take this issue very seriously and find a solution to protect those who elect them or be replaced. There is an opportunity at the FQM this week for them to stand with us and challenge this process with Minister Laforest, and I sure hope they do. It will be tougher for her to ignore people standing in the same room.

Julie Vaux, Alleyn and Cawood

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