Woodstock City Council Hears More Norwich Boundary Adjustment Concerns

Friday, 14 July 2017 11:46

The City of Woodstock will exempt Eastwood residents from any potential boundary adjustment and impacted local business owners want to be phased in.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock City Council has heard the complaints from Eastwood residents who want to stay in Norwich Township as the two areas discuss a boundary adjustment.

Deputy Mayor Jerry Acchione tells Heart FM they heard the complaints and last night they made a decision to leave Eastwood out of further boundary adjustment discussions.

"We've heard them and we have agreed, that's fine, we're really looking for the land for commercial and industrial sales anyway's, so we have made that exception."

Eastwood residents have been very vocal about not wanting to moving into the City of Woodstock because of the impact it would have on their taxes. Woodstock and Norwich will move forward with the boundary adjustment negotiations with Eastwood residents potentially stay in Norwich Township. This motion will now have to go to Norwich Township council for approval. Any potential boundary adjustment would need to be completed before January 1st because you cannot do a boundary adjustment in an election year.

Meanwhile Bill Skillings also made a deputation last night on behalf of commercial business owners east of County Road 4. His concerns were about the commercial tax rate and wanted to have the increases phased in over 5 years. Here is a sample of his deputation from last night.

"I, along with other business owners in this affected area attended the meeting held at Oxford Centre. At that meeting we were informed that once the proposed land adjustment is passed, that our taxes will increase by 50 percent effective January 1, 2018. We understand the increase is on the municipal portion, however it is still a 50 percent increase. When you add the increased property values we will receive from MPA over the next few years, this will significantly add to the tax we will being paid. We cannot afford this major increase at one time as proposed."

Skillings also noted that farmers in this affected area will receive the 5 year faze in of the taxes. He notes a farm is a business... just as we are.

Acchione says they understand his concerns and have accepted this deputation as information to see if their is anything they can do.

"The biggest problem we saw is we don't know if we can legally do anything. He's asking for a 5 year phase in and we don't know if that is even possible to allow. So we have put it back, we are going to get some staff reports and see if that is even a possibility."