TORONTO - The practice of giving special treatment to influential politicians and celebrities who might complain about their property assessments is designed to mask the effects of a mass downsizing at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.
A report in today’s Globe and Mail revealed that city councillors, MPPs, and media heavyweights like CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge and City-TV founder Moses Znaimer get an automatic audit or “fine-tuning” before their property assessments are mailed. Ordinary citizens would have to file a “request for reconsideration,” which could take months,
to guarantee the same level of accuracy on their computer-generated assessment.
“This practice is designed to ensure that no politician ever has a personal experience with the level of service that regular taxpayers can expect from an organization that has lost over 800 front-line staff,” said OPSEU president Leah Casselman.
Casselman said there were 2,164 employees in the OPSEU bargaining unit at MPAC in mid-1998. By mid-2002, that number had dropped to just 1,353, with still more layoffs expected in the next few months. And since 2001, the Assessment Act now requires MPAC to assess every property in the province every year, not every four years as was generally the
case in the past.
“No reasonable person would believe that MPAC can do four times the work with just over half the staff,” said Casselman. “Of the 525 bargaining units we represent, I don’t think we’ve seen one that wiped out so many people but still expected the survivors to do not only the same work, but much more,” she said.
The practice occurs in Regional Assessment Offices across the province, the union says. Individuals wanting to know if they are on a “sensitive” list may contact Lawrence Hummel, MPAC Vice-President, Property Values. He can be reached at (905) 837-6212.
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For more information: Randy Robinson (416) 448-7441; (416) 788-9134 (cell)
