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Council Considers Limiting Vacant Unit Rebate Program

Friday, 30 June 2017 05:27

County Council is looking at imposing a five year limit on the Vacant Unit Rebate Program.

OXFORD COUNTY - Oxford County Council is looking at making changes to the Vacant Unit Rebate Program.

Over the past 20 years or so, commercial and industrial land owners have been able to collect a tax rebate if they have vacant properties. Commercial properties could receive 30 percent while industrial properties would get 35 percent.

Now that the province has given the county the power to update the program, Warden David Mayberry says council would like to add a limit on the amount of years a business could receive the rebate.

"You could have a rebate for up to five years. After that there is an expectation - you've had the opportunity to prepare the building for whatever purpose you would like to use it for."

Mayberry tells Heart FM a limit would help vacant land owners pay their taxes and it would also encourage them to find new tenants as soon as possible.

"We of course we want all buildings to be rented. We'd like to see almost full occupancy in every building in Oxford and so the opportunity here is to figure out how we are going to get to a middle common ground if we can."

The five year limit is still a suggestion at this point until council passes an official bylaw at their next meeting. If passed, the limit would come into effect next year.

Instead of simply updating the Vacant Unit Rebate Program Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen Molnar encouraged County Council to create a new vacant unit standard he referred to as the "Oxford Alternative." Council voted against his suggestion 5-4.

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