Farmers Looking for a Break On Tax Ratios

Wednesday, 14 March 2018 12:54

Farmers in Oxford County paid a record high in property taxes in 2017 and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is asking for more of a moderate increase in 2018.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is asking Oxford County Council to slow down the increase on farm property taxes.

Senior Policy Analyst with the OFA Ben Le Fort says Farmers in the County paid a record high in property taxes in 2017 and the OFA is asking for moderate increase in 2018.

"What were asking for in 2018 is for farmers to pay relatively the same proportion of taxes that they paid in 2017, which was a record high in the County."

Le Fort says the farm assessments really spiked in 2017.

"What we have is the farm assessments, which is the other piece that determines your taxes, increasing far faster than any other property classes. So to prevent further record highs in farm taxes, we need that farm tax ratio in 2018, so what we are asking for is a ratio reduction from 25 percent of residential tax rate to 22 percent of the residential tax rate."

Le Fort says local farmers are having a tough time keeping up with the increases.

"We are seeing the average increase in farm taxes is a double digit percent increase and I've some members who last year had a 20 to 25 percent increase in their tax bill. So last year taxes increased by 25 percent, they will do similar this year, next year and the year after if their is no action taken. So what we are asking for is, we already took the big hit in 2017, that was difficult to swallow, we are willing to stay at that very high rate to prevent any more double digit increase in taxes and keep it to something more reasonable that the other property classes are increasing by as well."

Oxford County Council listened to the concerns and have asked staff to prepare a Comprehensive analysis of reducing the farm tax ratio and what that would mean for the other property tax ratios.