Alleyn-et-Cawood property evaluation petition gathers nearly 4,000 signatures
Tashi Farmilo
Local Journalism Initiative
ALLEYN-ET-CAWOOD: Residents of Alleyn-and-Cawood are fighting to address a 370% increase in property assessments, triggered by the sale of vacant lots in the Dreamy Estates development. The spike in the comparative factor used to calculate property values has driven up assessments across the municipality, creating worries of financial strain for homeowners and businesses.
Julie Vaux, a leader of the local Evaluation Task Force, explained the motivation behind the movement. “A petition was created to eliminate the comparative factor at the provincial level because we don’t want this to happen to any other small, rural municipality in Quebec. We all want development, but not at the detriment of homeowners and business owners who suffer from the increase in property values,” she said. The petition, which has gathered nearly 4,000 signatures—more than 10 times the population of the municipality— closed on September 11 and was tabled at the National Assembly by Pontiac MNA André Fortin on September 18.
“We received 2,000 in-person signatures and over 1,800 online,” Vaux added.
Fortin has been a key ally in the effort, raising the issue with the provincial government. “I’ve directly addressed this issue with Minister Laforest of Municipal Affairs and had numerous exchanges with her staff. My main focus was to share the reality of Alleyn-et-Cawood taxpayers and community concerns about potential increases in school taxes and insurance premiums,” he said.
However, Laforest has urged caution and noted the complexity of the situation. In response to the petition, her office stated, “As with any petition concerning municipal affairs, the Ministry will analyse the content once it has been submitted to the National Assembly.” The Minister also noted a rise in property values doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in taxes: “Properties whose value increases at the same rate as the municipal average will not see major hikes in their tax bills. Municipalities can adjust their tax rates to maintain an overall equivalent level of taxation.”
Furthermore, Laforest pointed out that municipalities have financial tools at their disposal to manage local revenue. “Municipalities can implement fees based on services received rather than property values and can create alternative revenue streams using their regulatory authority or general taxation powers,” she said.
Fortin remains cautious. “There’s an issue with this calculation that could be avoided by finding a better way to measure the real value of properties,” he said, expressing concern about how the situation could impact other municipalities. “Whether through the actions of the Council of Mayors, as several other MRCs have already done, or through provincial measures, it’s essential to ensure citizens don’t face significant rate shocks when it comes to re-evaluation,” he concluded.
