Canadian Property Rights Coalition

Mississippi Mills, Wednesday, April 28: Two cofounders of the Alliance for Fair Taxation in Mississippi Mills have decided to take their tax fairness campaign from the sidelines to centre court. Phil Warland and Shaun McLaughlin today declared themselves candidates for the 2010 municipal election. Mr. Warland will run in Pakenham ward and Mr. McLaughlin in Ramsay ward.

Mr. Warland and Mr. McLaughlin share similar views on fiscal issues facing residents: the proposed septage tax, the unfair partitioning of hydro revenues, and the high level of Town debt.

In November 2008, the Town promised the Ontario government to add septage treatment to Almonte's new wastewater treatment plant in return for one-third funding for the plant from the province. Mississippi Mills Council has proposed to pass on the costs of the septage treatment component to rural taxpayers, even though there is no regulation requiring septage treatment.

Mr. Warland and Mr. McLaughlin have spoken at public meetings and before Council to argue for a fairer septage taxation scheme and to warn against faulty assumptions and potential pitfalls in the septage business plan. For example, the Town plans to charge outside communities to treat their septage but the business plan does not account for future costs related to trucking away the accumulated bio-solids. That may cost more than the fees paid, resulting in a financial liability for taxpayers.

Mr. Warland says that a key election issue for him is the wastewater treatment plant. "I believe that rural residents should pay no capital costs, no operating costs, no maintenance costs, and no future costs for disposal of bio-solids."

"If residents are forced to pay the capital costs, even if just $155.00 as the mayor suggests, it then by association contractually binds us to all the other costs associated with the plant," Mr. Warland adds. "The septage business plan is too loose and open ended. If elected, I’ll work with other rural councillors to put a stop to this money-loosing proposition."

"Septage taxation is not the only funding issue facing rural residents in Mississippi Mills," according to Mr. McLaughlin. "For 12 years, all money the Town raised through producing and transmitting electricity went to offset the water and sewage charges for Almonte residents. With the recent enlargement of the hydro plant, it is time to share hydro revenues with all wards."

"The new wastewater treatment plant and the arena upgrades are adding millions of dollars to the Town's debt," explains Mr. McLaughlin. "The province's Financial Indicators Review in 2008 showed Mississippi Mills had twice the average debt per household of towns in its class and that was before all the new debt. We need to stop big spending and find ways to pare down expenses overall to ensure a firm financial footing."

Phil Warland's community involvement includes: Community Official Plan, specifically high speed Internet; past advisor to the Executive of the Lanark Landowners Association; member and author of the Constitution of the Canadian Property Rights Coalition; founding member of the Alliance for Fair Taxation; Chair of the Mississippi Mills Environmental Advisory Committee & Waste Diversion Committee; football Coach for the West Carleton Wolverines of the NCAFA; and, Friends of the Cedar Hill Schoolhouse Saturday’s at Seven bassist.

Shaun McLaughlin's community involvement includes: past board member of the Clayton Seniors' Housing Corporation; current board member of the Five Arches Non-Profit Housing Corporation; founding member and president of the Rural Advisory Committee (a participating group in the Community Official Plan consultations); founding member and past board member of the Mississippi Mills Residents Association; and, founding member of the Alliance for Fair Taxation.

Background: The Alliance for Fair Taxation, created by members of the Appleton Community Association, Canadian Property Rights Coalition, and the Mississippi Mills Residents Association, formed in the summer of 2009 to organize a rural response to the new septage treatment facility.