What a Crock!
September 25, 2024
The City of St. Catharines recently introduced their Older Adult Tax Increase Deferral Program. Eligible homeowners, aged 65 and older, can now defer the increase in the City portion of their property taxes, providing financial relief by allowing them to delay payment on any year-over-year tax increases, they say. The program is designed to assist older residents who may be on fixed incomes and facing challenges in keeping up with the rising cost of living.
“Supporting our older residents as they age in place is a priority for us,” said Chief Financial Officer, Director of Financial Management Services and City Treasurer Kristine Douglas. “This tax deferral program offers relief to those who may need it most, allowing them to remain in their homes without the burden of worrying about increased property tax payments.”
What a crock, I thought.
We’ll keep spending like drunken sailors, but we’ll try to make the suckers think we’re doing something to help them.
Yet when you examine the details of this program, it’s even worse than it looks on the surface.
They charge you a rate of 5% interest on the deferred taxes. Less than the usual loan-shark rate of 15%, they say. As if that’s supposed to make you feel better. Then there’s a $50 charge just for applying for the program. With the additional money they’ll be collecting off the interest charges, they should be paying homeowners $50 to sign up for it.
Let’s call a spade a spade here. This isn’t a program to support older homeowners. It’s a tax on people who are bad at math and yet another money-maker for the city. A city whose municipal government has a serious spending problem. And something else for Mat Sendzcoe Siscoe, who occupies the office of mayor, to brag about on social media. He’ll undoubtedly crow about how this was something else on his platform that he delivered on. And pat himself on the back while telling us how much he’s doing to help us.
This is yet another reason to be very wary when someone says, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”
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