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May 2024

MPAC wraps up a successful spring season of municipal conferences

This spring has been a busy and productive season for MPAC. We caught up with municipal representatives and other stakeholders at key conferences, which provided valuable opportunities to discuss challenges, share insights, and explore new opportunities for collaboration.


MPAC’s active participation in these conferences underscores our dedication to enhancing communication, transparency, and collaboration with municipalities across Ontario. These events are an excellent platform for sharing updates and best practices and for learning something new each time. The insights we gain from these interactions help guide our efforts and initiatives to improve service delivery and support community growth.


To learn about the conferences we've attended this spring and our key takeaways, visit Our Stories on mpac.ca.

MPAC at NOMA, from left to right: Carm Lipsi, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; James Harvey, Manager of Government Affairs, Government Relations; Steve DeRocco, Account Manager, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations; Jamie Bishop, Vice President, Public Affairs and Customer Experience; Mary Dawson-Cole, Director, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations; Laura Voltti, Regional Manager, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations; Sharla Knapton, Account Manager, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations.

MPAC achieves ISO certifications for the fifth year in a row

MPAC is pleased to announce that we have achieved recertifications for ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27017 for the fifth consecutive year and obtained our ISO/IEC 27018 certification for the first time. 

We pride ourselves on adhering to globally acknowledged standards, demonstrating our dedication to best practices in information security. MPAC stands out as one of the select Canadian organizations with all three certifications, positioning us at the forefront of organizational commitment to innovative information security and cementing our reputation for excellence, trust, and unwavering reliability. 

     

MPAC's Best Practices for Protecting your Municipality's Data

Subject matter expert Mirza Baig, Director, Cyber Security, discussed the extensive cyber security measures MPAC continues to take to manage and protect its billions of data points. Mirza featured the new security controls MPAC has implemented and shared best practices for protecting your municipality’s data and systems.

To view recordings of all past webinars, visit mpac.ca or on our YouTube Channel.

     

Tax Applications: An overview and update 

Join MPAC subject matter experts Brian Lopes, Senior Legislation and Policy Analyst, and Rebecca MacDonald, Manager, Valuation and Customer Relations, for an overview and update on the processing of tax applications. This webinar will review the relevant legislation and detail our application processing procedures. We will also highlight some upcoming changes to our responses that will take effect starting in July 2024.  If you are involved in processing municipal tax applications, this webinar is a must-attend event.


There will be time for questions during the Q+A portion of the meeting.


Date: Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EDT

     

Summer conferences

We'll be at the following summer conferences. Stop by our booth to say hello!

  • June 9 to 12 Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) Conference in the Blue Mountains.
  • August 18 to 21 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa.

     

A Day with MPAC: Engaging Municipal Stakeholders in Hamilton

Earlier in May, the Municipal and Stakeholder Relations Team in Zone 2 hosted a successful "Day with MPAC" at our Hamilton office. The event brought together over 50 attendees for information sharing, interactive sessions, and networking.

 

Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to connect with peers, share experiences, and build valuable relationships. We were pleased to hear more about the municipal experience through conversations and interactive sessions. 

Our panel discussion, featuring municipal representatives from the City of Welland, Halton Region and the City of Mississauga, sparked productive conversations about hot topics in the municipal world. Each panel member brought diverse viewpoints and important takeaways. 

 

Attendees also participated in round-table sessions covering various topics, including appeals, e-permitting systems, municipal products, and severance/consolidations and condos.

 

Additionally, our team was joined by subject matter experts from across MPAC, who offered information sessions on the New Assessment Forecast – offering essential updates and future projections for 2024 – and the nuances and complexities in assessing condominiums.


We want to thank those who joined us and look forward to hosting similar events in the future.

Kallie White, Supervisor in MPAC's Centralized Processing Facility (CPF) shares insights into the complexities of condo assesments. 

     

Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program

In the January/February issue of InTouch, we featured an article about changes to the Tax Incentive Approval (TIA) process for tax incentive programs like the Farm 

Property Class Tax Rate Program. Specifically, only property approvals for the 2023 Assessment Roll for 2024 taxation were processed. 


MPAC paused on processing removals until a revised inventory was received after roll return. This change was implemented to increase roll stability, reduce administrative processing for MPAC and municipalities, and align our goals with partnering agencies. 


This change resulted in 1,700 fewer properties transitioning either into a program, out of a program, or back into a program through issuance of a TIA, representing a 36% decrease in changes for MPAC and municipalities to implement.


Please note: approximately 3,000 qualifying supplementary assessments, which were previously paused, will be issued in the June 3, 2024, Property Assessment Change Notice (PACN) mailing. This may result in municipalities experiencing a higher volume of supplementary assessments this month. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local MSR Account Manager.

2024 Q1 New Assessment Forecast update

At the end of April, MPAC provided municipalities with the 2024 Q1 New Assessment Forecast. We are projecting over $40.5 billion, indicating a five percent increase 

from the 2024 Revised Preliminary New Assessment Forecast, delivered in late January. 

Municipalities can view a customized report via MyProducts on Municipal Connect. Quarterly New Assessment Forecasts are provided within 30 days following the end of the calendar quarter for Q1, Q2, and Q3. MPAC’s next quarterly forecast will be delivered to municipalities at the end of July. Questions about new assessment? See our Property Assessment and Taxation Toolkit to learn more!

MPAC’s 2024 PIER campaign


MPAC’s Property Income and Expense Return (PIER) program is now underway. Eligible property owners who received a letter requesting information about their properties 

should submit their information by July 15, 2024. Property owners can access the PIER portal on AboutMyPropertyTM on mpac.ca.

   

We're better together!

MPAC is dedicated to building stronger partnerships with municipalities across Ontario, and your local Municipal and Stakeholder Relations team is here to support you. 

Want more information about who we are and how we can work with your municipality? Reach out to your local Municipal and Stakeholder Relations Account Manager to book an information session for your staff or municipal council. Need Municipal Connect training? We can help with that, too. 

 

Have you been working closely with our Municipal and Stakeholder Relations team on a unique initiative? Share your experience! Ask your Account Manager how your municipality can be featured in our next Partnerships in Action story.