The stewardship manager for the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority says they have some concerns about recent increases in assessment.
Kate Monk explains the conservation authority owns about 8,000 acres of land and most of that is forested. Property taxes for the conservation authority increased by about 10% from 2016 to 2017.
"What has us quite concerned is that our current value assessment of our properties have increased sometimes more than 200%. A forest that had been assessed at $155,000 has jumped to $600,000," Monk adds.
Monk says the explanation they've been given is the increase in assessment is based on the value of similar land in the area that has recently been sold.
Monk says they did have had some success in appealing their assessment on a property in 2017.
"We asked the board if we could look at some of the properties that have a potential to increase some of our taxes greatly and to register the formal request for re-consideration to MPAC," he says.
The board gave staff permission to do that.
