TAXATION MONDAY: WHO CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE WHAT APPEARS ON YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL? Part 2

September 27th, 2026

In Post 1, we looked at the three main pieces of your property-tax bill.

Now comes the next question: Who actually has the authority to change each part?

When we talk about “lowering property taxes,” it's important to understand who controls which portion.

If you're concerned about…	Who has authority?
Town spending	Town Council
Town's tax rate	Town Council
County spending	County Council
County's tax requirement	County Council
Education tax rate	Province of Ontario
Your property's assessed value	MPAC
Your assessment appeal	MPAC / Assessment Review Board process
The laws governing property taxation	Province of Ontario

Here's the important distinction:

AI generated graphic poster

Town Council does not control the entire property-tax bill.

Town Council controls the Town's municipal portion and makes decisions about the Town's spending and tax requirement.

County Council is responsible for the County's portion.

The Province establishes the education tax rate.

And MPAC determines your property's assessed value and classification — but does not set your tax rate.

So when we talk about property taxes, it is worth asking: Which portion are we talking about?

And then: Who has the authority to change it?

Here's something you may not know:

County Council is made up of the mayors and deputy mayors of the 16 municipalities in Simcoe County. 

That means Wasaga Beach has two representatives at County Council:

Brian Smith — Mayor and Tanya Snell — Deputy Mayor 

County Council is responsible for the County's budget and the services provided at the County level — including social housing, paramedic services, Ontario Works, children's services, long-term care, waste management, County roads and other responsibilities.

Understanding those distinctions makes for a much better conversation about taxes.

I'm running for Town Council, so I think residents deserve to understand what Town Council can control — and what it cannot.

Thanks for listening! 💗

Next Taxation Monday: Where does your property-tax money actually go?