Friends,
This week I have heard from many Ward 4 property owners who have received a Notice of Assessment for the Vacant Home Tax (VHT) .
Notices of Assessment for the Vacant Home Tax (for the 2023 taxation year) have been issued to owners who declared their property vacant, and to owners whose property has been deemed vacant because they did not submit a declaration. In addition, a fee of $21.24 has been charged for not declaring by the deadline.
Some property owners may have received this notice because they were unaware that they needed to declare the occupancy status of the property annually, or the declaration was late, etc.
I understand that receiving this notice has been a very upsetting and stressful experience. I have encouraged City staff to look at options to improve this process so that residents do not have to declare the status of their homes annually.
In the meantime, I want to share the latest direction we’ve received on what steps individuals should take to declare occupancy status for the 2023 taxation year:
If your property was occupied for more than six (6) months in 2023, do not pay the Vacant Home Tax charge. Instead, please file a Notice of Complaint and upon receiving and confirming your occupancy, the City will reverse the Vacant Home Tax charge along with any interest that may have been incurred after the May 15, 2024 initial payment due date.
You can file the Notice of Complaint online or via mail.
Online:
- Go to: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/property-taxes-utilities/vacant-home-tax/
- Click on the blue tab at the top of the page, called: ‘Submit Complaint/ Appeal/ Respond to Audit’
Mail:
- Complete and print the Notice of Complaint/Appeal form.
- Mail to:
City of Toronto, Revenue Services
Vacant Home Tax Complaints/Appeals
5100 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON M2N 5V7
More information on the Vacant Home Tax can be found here: Vacant Home Tax – City of Toronto
I’ll be sure to share more updates as they become available. As always, If you have any questions or challenges my office is here to support you.
Sincerely,
Gord
- Our Plan Toronto: Official Plan Chapter One
- New Application – 1930 - 1938 BLOOR ST W & 3, 5 & 21 QUEBEC AVE
- Ward 4 Environment Days !
- Clean Toronto Together Events
- Stay Safe during the Solar Eclipse ️
- Add Councillor Perks to your Facebook group!
Our Plan Toronto: Official Plan Chapter One
The Official Plan is Toronto’s roadmap for growth. Chapter One of the Official Plan sets out aspirational and vision-based statements that inform how the city will grow for the next 30 years.
These statements reflect the shared values of Torontonians, expressed in a way to guide development, and are the foundation for the other chapters in the Plan.
The current Chapter One was adopted by Council in 2002 as part of the City’s first post-amalgamation Official Plan and similar to other Chapters of the Official Plan requires updating to reflect the changing vision for the city.
This week, Planning and Housing Committee will review a staff report that recommends replacing the current Chapter One with a new Chapter One that focuses on advancing reconciliation, a Vision to 2051, and Principles for a successful and inclusive city. The recommended Chapter One will serve as a statement of values that will inform future amendments to the Plan. An emphasis on inclusion, access, and equity will ensure that these values become embedded in future decisions.
Learn more about the new first Chapter for Toronto’s Official Plan: Toronto's Vision to 2051 - YouTube
New Application – 1930 - 1938 BLOOR ST W & 3, 5 & 21 QUEBEC AVE
An application has been submitted to City Planning for a a 17-storey mixed-use building, containing 144 dwelling units (of which 12 are rental replacement units) and 380 square metres of non-residential gross floor area at 1930-1938 Bloor St W & 3, 5, & 21 Quebec Ave.
The application is currently being reviewed by City Planning and other departments. Once the review has been completed a report will be created outlining City Staff findings and presented to Toronto and Easy York Community Council.
Due to recent provincial legislation, the City Planning department has 90 days to complete their review and respond to the developer. This represents a timeline much shorter than usual.
As a result, City Planning, in coordination with my office, will be organizing a community meeting to be held in the near future so that we can gather feedback from the neighbourhood. Please watch my newsletters in the coming weeks for details about when this meeting will be held and details on how to join.
Information about the application is available online on the City’s Application Information Centre website at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-details/?id=5405185&pid=149187.
For further information on this or any other Ward 4 or city-related matter, go to www.gordperks.ca or contact my office at [email protected].
Ward 4 Environment Days!
Clean Toronto Together Events
Clean Toronto Together, the City’s annual spring cleanup of parks and other public spaces returns from April 19 to 22. Over these four days, thousands of residents, students, businesses, organizations and community groups will pitch in to help keep our city clean and free of litter.
Find more information and events on the City’s Clean Toronto Together webpage.
Stay Safe during the Solar Eclipse
On Monday, April 8, Toronto will experience a solar eclipse. This is a rare event where the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth’s surface.
Toronto falls outside the path of a total solar eclipse; however, a partial eclipse will occur at 3:19 p.m., lasting approximately one minute. The entire duration of the eclipse is 2:04 p.m. to 4:31 p.m.
Take precautions. Do not look directly at the sun. Do not look indirectly at the sun using a mirror, or through a window. Where possible, schedule tasks indoors for the duration of the eclipse.
Add Councillor Perks to your Facebook group!
Are you part of a neighbourhood/community Facebook group? Let our office know by responding to this email so that we can join and post relevant updates and share our weekly e-newsletter.
Please include a link to the group and the administrator’s contact information if possible.
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