b'TAX ASSESSMENTSTAX HEADACHE By Warren HeeleyIn the face ofL andtaxassessmentsonaggregateThecurrentpathMPACisfollowingis propertieshavebeenaproblemundoubtedly going to raise aggregate costs to the massive tax hikes,for yearsbut never has the issuecustomer, explains George Lourenco, director, taken on such colossal proportionslands and resources at Capital Paving. When OSSGA demandsasithastoday.Inwhatcanonlyyou consider that the municipal and provincial be described as a rushed approach on thegovernments are the largest aggregate industry a more equitablepart of the Municipal Property Assessmentcustomers, and that increases in taxes of this Corporation (MPAC) to revaluate all 3,200magnitude end up being passed to the customer, approach toaggregate properties in Ontario for the 2024the issue has really become a circularissue.calculating taxes onyear, some operators have seen their taxes jump by 200 per centand as much as 900OSSGAsresponsehasbeenswift.Last aggregate sites per cent in at least one community.November,weaskedtheprovincetoput currentMPACrevaluationsonholduntila Such crippling tax hikes stand to impact themorestudiedandthoughtfulmethodology economic health of the provinces aggregatecould be developed. OSSGA wants to see the industry,withsomesmalleroperatorsprovinceworktogetherwiththeMunicipal possibly forced to close shop. They could alsoPropertyAssessmentCorporationand significantly increase the cost of aggregateindustryrepresentativestoworkoutamore and hinder the governments ambitious plansviable assessment methodology for aggregate to dramatically increase housing stock in thesitesone that is fair and specifically suited to coming decade. theindustry.14 AVENUESWINTER 2024'