NORTHEAST TOWN—Since the story for 2025 Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands budget appeared in the December 23, 2024 edition of this newspaper, the municipality received a substantial increase in its Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) rates for 2025—to the tune of $10 million—significantly lowering the tax rates for the year.
In early December, council passed its budget with a 2.99 percent increase (per $1,000 of assessment) for residents of Ward 2 (Little Current) and a 3.5 percent for Wards 3 and 4 (Sheguiandah and Honora). There wasn’t a change in rate for the residents of Ward 1 (McGregor Bay/Bay of Islands).
Since receiving its MPAC assessment, the new rates (per $1,000 in assessment) are as follows: -1.41 percent for Ward 1; 1.15 percent for Ward 2 and 1.71 percent for Wards 3 and 4, all rates lowered by this infusion.
“When we worked on the budget, we used the MPAC assessment that we had on hand (2016),” said CAO Dave Williamson. “We did not anticipate a $10 million increase, which is fantastic.”
The increase in assessment is wholly attributed to the massive increase in residential and commercial construction in the community thereby adding to the municipal tax coffers.
