2019 Tax Bill Information

Township of Southwold 2019 property tax comparisons to 2 neighbouring Municipalities in the County of Elgin

The five largest (in terms of dollars) services provided by the Township of Southwold and the County of Elgin:

Southwold	Elgin
1. Road Maintenance and Snow Removal	1. Engineering and Land Division
2. Council and Administration	2. Long-term Care Facilities
3. Policing	3. Ambulance and Emergency services
4. Fire Protection	4. Libraries
5. Garbage and Recycling	5. Social Services

Property Tax Due Dates:

Taxes are due the same 4 days each year:  the last business day of March, May, August and October.  If the 31st falls on a Saturday, then the taxes are due the Friday prior.

 

MPAC Property Assessment Notice

Reassessments will occur every four years

• Assessment increases - DO NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN TAX INCREASES and may even result in tax decrease.
• Municipalities do not receive any direct benefit from province-wide assessment increases.
• Assessed property value is based on the information MPAC has about the property.
• Property owners should verify the property specific information supplied on their Property Assessment Notice.
• Assessment increases are being phased-in over the four-year period between reassessments.
• Assessment decreases will be implemented immediately.
• Purpose of phase-in is to introduce stability and predictability into the assessment and tax system.
• A New Ontario Senior Homeowners Property Tax Grant brochure will be included with the Assessment Notice. (this program will be administered through the income tax system)
• Beginning in 2009, Request for Reconsideration (RFR) is mandatory first step for residential, farm & managed forest property classes to appeal their assessment.

Deadline for submission of RFR - As per your assessment notice.  

If you wish to appeal the property assessment the RFR form is available on the MPAC website.

The Assessment Notice will include contact information to MPAC. The Assessment Notice is not a property tax bill but contains information regarding the property.

Please visit "AboutMyProperty"  www.mpac.ca  for further information.

2019 Budget - Public Presentation Document

 

Audited Financial Statements in PDF format

• 2018 Audited Financial Statements
• 2017 Audited Financial Statements
• 2016 Audited Financial Statements
• 2015 Audited Financial Statements
• 2014 Audited Financial Statements

The Municipal Performance Measurement Program (MPMP) is a provincial mandated program that promotes local government transparency and accountability.  MPMP initiative is designed to provide taxpayers with useful information on service delivery and municipalities with tools to improve those services over time.  The program requires municipalities to collect data to measure their performance in core municipal service areas.

Two significant changes to the MPMP have been made for the 2014 reporting year. First, the amount of data that municipalities are required to report has been reduced significantly since some of the data previously reported is no longer relevant or now collected elsewhere. Second, since data reported for the MPMP by each municipality is publicly available from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, municipalities will now be able to determine which MPMP measures to report to the public. This will reduce a potentially redundant burden for municipalities to publicize data that is already available elsewhere.  As a result of these changes, schedules 90-95 will no longer be required. Some of the data points that were collected in these schedules are now contained in Schedule 80D: Statistical Data.

• All MPMP data submitted by municipalities are and will continue to be made available to the public online at:  http://csconramp.mah.gov.on.ca/fir/viewschedules.htm
• To find out more about Ontario's Municipal Performance Measurement Program, visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website.
• 2013 Performance Measures with prior year comparatives
• 2014 Performance Measures
• 2015 Performance Measures 
• 2016 Performance Measures 

Tax Installments

The Township mails out tax bills twice a year.  The interim bills are mailed the first week of March and the Final bills are mailed the first week of August.  Each bill has two installments due on the following dates:

Interim Bills:  1st installment is due the last business day of March

                           2nd installment is due the last business day of May

Final Bills:        1st installment is due the last business day of August

                            2nd installment is due the last business day of October

NOTE:  Failure to receive a tax bill does not excuse a taxpayer from the responsibility for payment, nor relieve them of liability for penalty for late payment.

 

Tax Payment Options

The are several ways residents can pay their tax bills. 

 

1. Internet or Telephone Banking

To set up internet or telephone banking, you will need to input your 19-digit roll number as indicated on your property tax bill which starts with 3424.  Do not enter any spaces or periods.  If you require assistance, please contact your financial institution's customer service desk.

 

2. In Person

Payment at the office - the Township office is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.  Our office is located at 35663 Fingal Line, Fingal Ontario.  The following methods of payment are accepted:

• Cash - we still accept it!
• Cheque/Post-dated Cheque - many ratepayers find it convenient to leave post-dated cheques for each of the two installments on the tax bills.
• Debit Cards
• Credit Cards - please note that we only accept MasterCard and Visa.  Also, there is a 2% charge for any credit card transactions.
• After-hours Mail Slot - there is a mail slot at the top of the ramp at the front of the Township office.  Please do not put cash in the mail slot

 

3. By Mail

If you are mailing your payment, please remember the following:

• include your tax stub
• mail payment to: Township of Southwold, 35663 Fingal Line, Fingal, ON  N0L 1K0
• make cheque(s) payable to "Township of Southwold"
• cheques dated for the due date or earlier are accepted

 

4. Through Your Mortgage Company

If you receive your tax bill in the mail and your mortgage company pays your bill, it is YOUR responsibility to forward it to them.  A receipt will be forwarded to you once the bill has been paid in full. 

Please remember that, even though the mortgage company forwards payment to the Township, it is YOUR responsibility as a property owner to ensure that payments have been received and processed by the Township.

 

5. Pre-Authorized Payment Plan

The Pre-Authorized Payment Plan (PAP) offers you the convenience of having no cheques to write, no trips required to the bank or municipal office and no worries about overdue payments.

 

PAP Step 1 - Pay your current bill

Your account must be paid in full before a PAP may be implemented.

 

PAP Step 2 - Choose your payment option

• Installment - payments will be made on the due date of each installment (the last business day of March, May, August and October).
• 12 monthly installments - payments will be made on the last business day of each month.  Payments equal to one-twelfth of the prior year's total taxes will be made January - July.  The monthly amount will be revised in August with the final tax bills for the remaining five months of the year.  A statement will be mailed to you at the beginning of each year and again in August to let you know how much your monthly payments will be.
• 10 monthly payments will be made on the last business day of each month.  Payments equal to one-tenth of the prior year's total taxes will be made January - July.  The monthly amount will be revised in August with the final tax bills for payments in August - October.  A statement will be mailed to you at the beginning of each year and again in August to let you know how much your monthly payments will be.

 

PAP Step 3 - Complete an application

Application forms are available at the office or on the website under On-Line Forms or by clicking here.  Do not forget to enclose a VOID cheque for the bank account from which you want your payments drawn.  Mail or drop off your completed application at the Township office.

 

Things to remember

This authorization is not required each year.  However, if you are moving within the Township, the application is NOT transferable, and you will be required to complete a new application for your new address.

If your banking information changes or you wish to withdraw from the plan, you must provide at least 30 days' notice to the Township.

There is a service fee for all items returned from your financial institution for any reason such as non-sufficient funds or account closed.  The current fee is $40.  Subscribers to the PAP plan who have more than one item returned in a year will be removed from the plan.  The balance of taxes will become payable on the regular due dates and will be subject to standard penalties and interest of 1.25% per month on outstanding amounts. 

Supplementary tax bills are not included in the PAP plan and must be paid separately on the due dates indicated on the bill.

 

 

Water and Sewer Bills

The Township reads water meters four times per year.  Bills for water and sewer are issued quarterly and are due on the following dates.

•   the last business day of January
•   the last business day of April
•   the last business day of July
•   the last business day of October

NOTE:  Failure to receive a utility bill does not excuse a customer from the responsibility for payment, nor relieve them of liability for penalty for late payment.

 

Payment Options

There are several ways residents can pay their water and sewer bills.

 

1. Internet or Telephone banking

To set up internet or telephone banking, you will need to input your account number as indicated on your water and sewer bill.  Do not enter any spaces or periods.  If you require assistance, please contact your financial institution's customer service desk.

 

2. In Person

Payment at the office - the Township office is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.  Our office is located at 35663 Fingal Line, Fingal Ontario.  The following methods of payment are accepted:

• Cash - we still accept it!
• Cheque/Post-dated Cheque - many residents find it convenient to leave cheques post-dated for the due date.
• Debit Cards
• Credit Cards - please note that we only accept Master Card and Visa.  Also, there is a 2% charge for any credit card transactions.
• After-hours mail slot - there is a mail slot at the top of the ramp at the front of the Township office.  Please do not put cash in the mail slot.

 

3. By Mail

If you are mailing your payment, please remember the following:

• include your water and sewer stub
• mail payment to: Township of Southwold, 35663 Fingal Line, Fingal ON N0L1K0
• make cheque payable to "Township of Southwold"
• cheques dated for the due date or earlier are accepted

 

4. Pre-Authorized Payment Plan

The Pre-Authorized Payment Plan (PAP) offers you the convenience of having no cheques to write, no trips to the bank or municipal office and no worries about overdue payments.

 

PAP Step 1 - Pay your current bill

Your account must be paid in full before a PAP may be implemented.

 

PAP Step 2 - Choose your payment option

• Quarterly - payments will be made on the due date of each bill (the last business day of January, April, July and October).
• Monthly installments - payments will be made on the last business day of each month.  Payments equal to one-twelfth of the prior year's total water and sewer invoices (plus any rate increase) will be made February - December.  The January installment will be equal to the balance left owing on your account for the prior year.  A statement will be mailed to you in January of each year to let you know how much your monthly payments will be.

 

PAP Step 3 - Complete an application

Application Forms are available at the office, on the website under On-Line Forms.  Do not forget to enclose a VOID cheque for the bank account from which you want your payments drawn.  Mail or drop off your completed application at the Township office.

 

Things to remember

This authorization is not required each year.  However, if you are moving within the Township, the application is NOT transferable, and you will be required to complete a new application for your new address.

If your banking information changes or you wish to withdraw from the plan, you must provide at least 30 days' notice to the Township.

There is a service fee for all items returned from your financial institution for any reason such as non-sufficient funds or account closed.  The current fee is $40.  Subscribers to the PAP plan who have more than one item returned in a year will be removed from the plan.  The balance of water and sewer charges will become payable on the regular due dates and will be subject to standard penalties of 5% on outstanding amounts.