FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October
17, 2005
Union welcomes probe
of MPAC
TORONTO – The union
representing 1,500 assessment staff is welcoming an
investigation of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation
by provincial ombudsman André Marin.
“Despite the cheerful
proclamations of MPAC management, many front-line staff are
deeply concerned about the quality of the product in this
year’s assessment,” said Leah Casselman, president of the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). “Our members
look forward to working with Mr. Marin in any way we can.”
Employee concerns began over
four years ago when MPAC forced the majority of its staff to
apply for new jobs in a re-organized corporation.
The re-organization, known as
“Futures,” had several immediate effects:
- MPAC lost local valuation
expertise when it centralized the valuation of many property
classes;
- Municipalities lost direct
personal relationships with local assessment staff who were
intimately familiar with their communities;
- Front-line employee morale
plummeted;
- MPAC began a massive and
very expensive computer system overhaul under the direction
of former IT Vice-President Jim Andrew (the system is still
not up and running); and
- MPAC reduced the staff
involved in the collection and analysis of market data and
increased its reliance on computer models to create
assessments.
“Computer models are only as
good as the information that’s fed into them,” said Casselman.
“The problems we’re seeing at MPAC now all spring from the
loss of on-the-ground knowledge,” she said. “At a time when
customers everywhere want made-to-measure service, MPAC is
offering a one-size-fits-all approach.”
In a recent MPAC survey,
employees were asked whether, if given the option, they would
invest money in MPAC. Only four per cent were eager to do so.
“We hope Mr. Marin’s
investigation will be the dawn of a new day for property
assessment in Ontario,” she said.
– 30 –
For more information: Randy
Robinson (416) 448-7441
