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City of Mississauga COVID-19 Response Continues: Tax Deferral, Online Penalty Notice Screening and Prohibiting Fireworks
Tax deferral, online administrative penalty screening & prohibiting the sale and use of fireworks

COVID-19 | May 6, 2020

Today, Council approved further actions in response to COVID-19 including, tax deferral, allowing online administrative penalty screening and prohibiting the sale and use of fireworks.

“Mississauga continues to run efficiently and deliver key services in the face of this pandemic,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “That includes continuing to take measures to keep Mississauga safe and provide cash flow relief to our residents. Prohibiting fireworks is the right thing to do at this time to help discourage large groups from gathering, keep our City safe and ensure our firefighters and enforcement teams are focused on the task at hand, that’s fighting COVID-19.”

Tax Deferral

To provide further financial assistance to taxpayers and help ease financial pressures as a result of the impacts of COVID-19, Council agreed to postpone regular final tax instalments and eliminate late payment charges and fees related to tax payment requests for changes. The City is requesting that landlords pass the tax deferral on to their tenants.

 

Virtual Fireworks Only

Council voted to prohibit the sale and use of fireworks until further notice to reduce the potential for large crowds and continue to promote resident safety for the duration of the emergency related to COVID-19 as declared by the Province of Ontario and ensure existing resources are available and used for resident safety.  While fireworks are currently banned in Mississauga, please enjoy a virtual display this year with highlights from previous Mississauga firework events presented by Tim Hortons: https://youtu.be/cy7B2SL1zcc

Three by-laws were amended to prohibit the use and sale of fireworks in Mississauga:

1. Fireworks Residents By-law – Regulating the use of fireworks by the public including restrictions on dates, times and permit requirements.
2. Fireworks Vendors By-law – Regulating the licensing for the ownership and operation of portable firework display units within the City.
3. Business Licensing By-law – Regulating the licensing and sale of fireworks from inside a building (not portable).

May 6, 2020

 

Today, Council unanimously agreed to provide further financial assistance to taxpayers to help ease financial pressures as a result of the impacts of COVID-19 by:

• deferring final tax instalments for 90 days
• stopping late payment charges and fees related to tax payment requests for changes

 

Council previously provided cash flow assistance by deferring the April to June interim tax instalment dates by 90 days and is again asking all landlords to pass this additional financial relief on their tenants.

 

“We are doing what we can as a City to provide as much relief to residents and businesses as possible,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Today’s decision to defer property tax instalments and waive penalty fees will help taxpayers recovering from the shock of this crisis manage their cash flow in a difficult time. As a City, we do not have the financial resources of the federal and provincial governments to offer full relief, but we are doing what we can within our power while remaining financial prudence.”

 

The City of Mississauga is looking at all options available for recovering and balancing its 2020 operating and capital costs as a result of the impacts from COVID-19 and as required by-law.

 

“With the support and approval of Council, we are working to try and ease some of the economic impacts and financial hardships being faced by many families and businesses in Mississauga as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Janice Baker, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer. “At the same time, we are carefully monitoring the City’s operating and capital budgets and identifying opportunities for cost avoidance, including potentially deferring some of our capital spending this year. We are thankful to both the Region of Peel and the Government of Ontario for deferring the upper-tier and education tax payments which is greatly assisting the City during this challenging time. We are however, still facing significant revenue shortfalls. We need and are seeking, financial assistance from both the provincial and federal governments.”

 

Interim Tax Payment Schedules

 

As decided at the March 20 meeting of Council, interim property tax payments were deferred for 90 days. Notices were distributed to taxpayers at the end of March.

 

1. Regular Instalment Payments

For those paying by regular instalment, interim property tax payments of April 2 and May 7 were deferred to July 2 and August 6.

 

New Interim Payment Schedule Due Dates

July 2, 2020

August 6, 2020

 

2. Monthly Pre-Authorized Payments

For those paying by monthly pre-authorized payments with the City, interim property tax payments in April, May and June were deferred to July, August and September.

 

Residential and Non-Residential
New Interim Payment Schedule Due Dates	July 2020	August 2020	September 2020

 

Final Tax Payment Schedules

 

The timing of final tax payments for residential and non-residential property owners will depend on their chosen method of payment and if they continued with their interim tax payments as originally billed.

 

3. Regular Instalment Payments

Final tax payments have been deferred by 90 days for taxpayers currently paying by instalments. Payments will now be made in October, November and December.

 

Residential and Non-residential
New Final Payment Schedule Due Dates – final tax instalments	October 1, 2020	November 5, 2020	December 3, 2020

For residential properties, final tax instalments would normally be due in July, August and September.

For non-residential properties, final tax instalments normally would be due as one single payment in August.

 

4. Monthly Pre-Authorized Payments – Interim Payments were Deferred

For taxpayers who had monthly withdrawals deferred, final payments will be made in three equal withdrawals one in October, one in November and one in December.

 

Residential and Non-Residential
New Final Payment Schedule Due Dates – if Interim tax payments were deferred	October 2020	November 2020	December 2020
	Withdrawal payment	Withdrawal payment	Withdrawal payment

 

5. Monthly Pre-Authorized Payments – Payments Continued

Taxpayers who have chosen to continue to make regular monthly payments for their interim taxes will continue with monthly withdrawals on their normal schedule.

 

Residential and Non-residential
Payment Schedule Unchanged Interim tax payments continued	July 2020 *residential only   Monthly withdrawal	August 2020   Monthly withdrawal	September 2020   Monthly withdrawal	October 2020   Monthly withdrawal	November 2020   Monthly withdrawal	December 2020   Monthly withdrawal

 

Property assessment is determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). These assessments are updated every four years and increases are phased-in over a four-year period. The last re-assessment was conducted in 2016. The next MPAC reassessment was planned to be completed this year for the 2021 taxation year; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Ontario postponed the assessment update. This means the property assessment used for the 2021 tax year will be the same as the 2020 tax year.

 

In addition, to the COVID-19 assistance, the City of Mississauga is also continuing with its annual tax rebate for low-income seniors and low-income persons with disabilities. For 2020, the annual rebate has been increased to $436.

 

Read the full report: 2020 Final Levy Taxation Addressing COVID-19 Impacts

 

Learn more about the City of Mississauga’s taxes and assessment processes.

 

View this email in your browser It would be an understatement to say that a lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic first affected our lives. But, at The Compass, what has not changed is our commitment to our community and our dedication to helping those in need. We continue to prepare custom, pick-up food orders for our clients, as requested over the phone or online. For drop-ins, we are distributing hampers at the door to help them until their next visit. We also have a volunteer working remotely to assist clients with CERB applications. The kind of change we have experienced in the last six weeks has made many of us feel stressed and anxious. Stress and anxiety can affect our physical and mental health, and our relationships. Can you imagine what it would be like to go through this time without money to buy food or pay rent? That is the uncertainty a number of our clients are facing. The Compass is grateful to be here to support the vulnerable in our community, and we can only do that with your help. Our volunteers are our biggest supporters, and right now many of our volunteers are playing an important part in the fight against COVID-19 by staying at home. We are all in this together. A core team of volunteers is working on site at The Compass, with the number of volunteers in the market reduced from 15+ to six, so we can maintain physical distancing. A number of volunteers are working remotely, helping with pick-ups, sharing our social media messages and letting the community know how people can support The Compass at this time. Our hours have also been extended, so we are now distributing food Mondays from Noon to 7:30 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Clients schedule their weekly pick-up time, and place orders for custom hampers on our website. On arrival, clients are greeted outside from a safe distance and called by name to pick up their hamper. We have taken many steps to ensure everyone’s safety. We are also grateful to the many businesses across the city that are working hard to keep us going. We have received meals from Paramount Fine Foods, Park Royal Fish & Chips, Pump House Grille and My Secret Kitchen to name a few. And we have received food donations from Loblaws, Sobeys, Winners, HomeSense and more. Our greatest need right now is for financial donations, which allow us to immediately buy the most-needed supplies at lower-than-retail prices. With hard work and communication we can all get through this together. Lucie Zima, a long-time Compass volunteer, is hopeful that, “when the dust settles, our core values as a society—kindness, gentleness, patience, mindfulness and generosity of spirit—will prevail. What a wonderful result from an unprecedentedly tumultuous time that would be.”     Make a Secure Donation Online We want to give a shoutout to a new local initiative called Masks For Meals. Inspired by the growing need for food banks as people have lost their jobs, some people in the Mississauga/Oakville area are now sewing masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and distributing them in exchange for donations to local food banks like The Compass. The goal is to expand this program across Mississauga and Oakville.     This newsletter was prepared by volunteer Content Manager John Wilson, a Toronto-based freelance writer with On the Danforth and Broadview Magazine. For inquiries, contact John at editor@thecompass.ca.       Copyright © 2020 The Compass 310 Lakeshore Road West Mississauga, Ontario L5H 1G8The Compass is a registered charity: Charitable Registration Number 86235 2754 RR0001 (Registered as The Lakeshore Community Outreach Centre Inc.) Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.