Municipal Webinar Schedule

May 17, 2023

The Municipal and Consultant Enquiries Process and Municipal Connect Update

Subject matter expert Anne Haines, Regional Manager, Southwestern Ontario, provided an overview of MPAC’s New Municipal and Consultant enquiry process, which will ensure relevant exchange of key data, as well as a focus on education for our top three municipal enquiry topics, to ensure timely responses.

We were also joined by subject matter expert Laura Voltti, Regional Manager, Northern Ontario, who offered an update on the upcoming building permit enhancements to Municipal Connect, MPAC’s primary source of assessment-related information for Ontario municipal staff.

Watch the recording here.

MPAC’s New Data Sharing Services Agreement & Data Strategy Consultation

MPAC is pleased to share the new Data Sharing and Services Agreement (DSSA) that we have collaboratively created with a municipal working group to modernize and simplify our overarching agreements with each of our municipal partners. Watch our April 4 webinar recording to learn about our new DSSA, the benefit for municipalities, and our roll-out plan. It also highlights a focused municipal consultation that is forthcoming from MPAC to support our corporate Data Strategy Project.

Watch the recording here.

MPAC 101 – Our Role in the Property Tax and Assessment System 

MPAC's subject matter experts Anne Haines, Regional Manager, Southwestern Ontario, and Jon Hebden, Regional Manager, Golden Horseshoe, in partnership with Theresa Parzei, Senior Economist, Property Tax Policy Unit, Ministry of Finance, presented an overview of Ontario’s property tax and assessment system, including MPAC’s role, the three approaches to valuation, and how assessment concerns are resolved. Watch the recording of our March 23 webinar and learn more about the relationship between property values and taxes, as well as programs and tools for managing reassessment changes. 

Watch the recording here.

Farm Tax Incentive Program Overview 

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Agricorp joined MPAC subject matter experts for an overview of the Farm Tax Incentive Program. Watch the recording of our March 9 webinar for an overview of the program’s administration and process for municipalities from application through approval. Other topics discussed included consolidation and severance, TIAs, and TIYs.  

Watch the recording here.

Farm Forestry Exemption

If the properties within your municipality include farmland with wooded areas, then you will likely want to know more about changes to the Farm Forestry Exemption. Watch the recording of our January 26 webinar, when subject matter experts Laura Voltti, MPAC Regional Manager, Northern Ontario, and Terri-Lyn Wright, MPAC Property Valuation Specialist, Central Ontario explained the exemption, eligibility criteria, how MPAC is implementing the legislative changes that occurred, and how municipalities may be affected.

Watch the recording here.

Overview of MPAC’s New Strategic Plan and our 2022 Municipal Priorities

Join Carmelo Lipsi, MPAC’s Vice-President and COO, and Chris Rickett, Director – Municipal and Stakeholder Relations, for an overview of MPAC’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, including how we will leverage it to continue elevating the property owner and municipal experience. Following the webinar a survey will be provided to obtain your feedback about our municipal areas of focus.

Watch the recording here.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Assessment Appeals

Watch the recording here.

Enumeration Update: Voterlookup.ca Toolkit

In preparation for the 2022 municipal and school board elections, MPAC created voterlookup.ca, an online tool where electors can add, update, or confirm their information. Please join subject matter experts, Shannon Long, Account Manager, Enumeration and Brad Baker, Manager, Customer Interaction, as they highlight the resources offered in the voterlookup.ca communications toolkit, created to support municipalities with capturing the information they need to ensure their voters’ lists are accurate and up to date for the 2022 municipal election.

Watch the recording here.

MPAC’s Central Processing Facility and Customer Contact Centre Update  

Join subject matter experts, Robert Warnes, Jason McLaughlin, and Brad Baker, Managers with MPAC’s Central Processing Facility (CPF) and Customer Contact Centre (CCC), to learn more about:   

• How to work with the CPF to process requests to combine or divide parcels of land, update addressing or ownership, and submit building permits; 
• A review of service level trends for 2021 for building permits, condominium growth, and severances; 
• Our building permit web service; and 
• How our CCC handles taxation, school support, and VoterLookup inquiries. 

Watch the recording here.

MPAC 101 – Our role in the Property Tax and Assessment System

Whether you are new to the municipal sector or perhaps simply want to learn more about the property assessment and tax system in Ontario, then this webinar is for you.   

Join subject matter experts Tracy McIntyre, MPAC Regional Manager, Eastern Ontario and Kim Bennett, MPAC Account Manager, in partnership with Katherine Chu, Manager, Property Tax Policy Unit, Ministry of Finance, for an overview of Ontario’s property tax and assessment system, including MPAC’s role, the three approaches to valuation, and how assessment concerns are resolved. 

The relationship between property values and taxes as well as programs and tools for managing reassessment changes will also be shared. 

Watch the recording here.

Digital e-permitting pilot: An innovative value-added solution to capturing new assessment for Ontario Municipalities 

Last year, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) partnered with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) to work towards increasing knowledge of electronic permitting (e-permitting) technology with the goal of improving municipal administrative and operational efficiencies. 

In this webinar, we will focus on:  

• An overview of the e-permitting pilot launched in February, including an evaluation and the benefits of e-permitting solutions for the municipal sector 
• A discussion with subject matter experts from MPAC and AMO (LAS) on this exciting venture, including how and why your municipality should join the many municipalities who have already committed to onboarding  
• A presentation from Cloudpermit on how building departments of all sizes benefit from an online building permit process. 

Watch the recording here.

Introduction to MPAC's Annotated Assessment Act

If you are a new or seasoned municipal practitioner of assessment law, or a municipal employee interested in gaining a better understanding of the cases that define assessment law in Ontario, than this webinar is for you.

Join MPAC’s subject matter experts for an introduction of the new Annotated Assessment Act (AAA), a comprehensive, time-saving tool that can be used to conduct legal research and bring prior legal decisions into daily practice.

The AAA encourages the use of precedent by advocate, and policy makers, to increase the predictability of future assessment decisions for all parties.

MPAC Subject Matter Experts:

• Ashtyn Rank, A/Director, Legislative Interpretation, Litigation and Strategy
• Jeffrey Ma, Senior Legal Council
• Lenny Delmedico, Manager, Legislation and Policy Support Services
• Mary Dawson-Cole, Regional Manager, Northern Ontario

Watch the recording here.

Enumeration Update - Product Canvassing, Data Products and Voters' List Revisions 

A session for Clerks and Elections staff, and a part of our commitment to support your preparation for the upcoming 2022 municipal, school board and DSSAB elections.

Join MPAC’s Enumeration team for an update on:

• VoterLookup.ca and the opportunity to promote this voter confirmation tool to ensure a more accurate PLE;
• canvassing for enumeration product requirements and VoterLookup.ca redirect messaging;
• production and delivery of electoral products including the PLE;
• production and delivery of the Exceptions Files to support currency of information for your voter’s list; and
• submitting Voters’ List Revisions to MPAC following the election.

Watch the recording here.

Playing a Key Role in Property Taxation and Assessment

While municipalities await news about the next province-wide assessment update, MPAC continues its focus on supporting the evolving needs of municipalities by adapting, innovating, and championing modernization of its products and services.

Watch this session to learn more about our role in the property tax and assessment system, current areas of focus and some operational highlights.

Watch the recording here.

MPAC 101: Overview of the Assessment and Property Tax System

Whether you are new to the municipal sector or perhaps simply want to learn more about the property assessment and tax system in Ontario, then this webinar is for you.   

Join subject matter experts Laura Voltti, MPAC Regional Manager, Northern Ontario, and Lynne Cunningham, MPAC Regional Manager, Central Ontario, in partnership with Tayyaba Mohsin, Senior Economic Analyst, Ministry of Finance, for an overview of Ontario’s property tax and assessment system, including MPAC’s role, the three approaches to valuation, and how assessment concerns are resolved. 

The relationship between property values and taxes as well as programs and tools for managing reassessment changes will also be shared. 

Watch the recording here.

MPAC's Legislated Notices – PRANs, ANAs, TIAs, SANs and PANs – what are they, and why do we need them?

Earlier this month, we were joined by MPAC’s subject matter expert Erin Jennings, Manager of Assessment and Taxation Mitigation, Operational Quality Management, for an overview of MPAC's legislated notices. Erin discussed what the legislated notices are for, when they are used, how to access them and how they can affect the work you do.

Watch the recording here.

Introduction: The New Municipal Connect

Join us for a live walk-through of our new Municipal Connect. With improved functionality, a modern interface with geospatial mapping, and increased data security, the system was built in-house by MPAC’s IT team. This webinar will show you how the new system works, provide details on how and when municipalities will move to the new system.

Watch the recording here.

MPAC's Working-From-Home: IT Best-Practices Learned from COVID-19

The pandemic highlighted many challenges for public sector organizations but also spurred innovation and adaption. As municipal workforces across the province swapped their in-office work stations for at home desks, the need for solid yet versatile IT infrastructure was never greater. Join MPAC’s Stuart Irvine, Director, IT Security, who will share what we learned during our transition to ‘virtual work’ for MPAC’s over 1,700 employees including sustaining business practices, data security, staff support, and a transition to Microsoft Teams.

Watch the recording here.

Modernizing the Building Permit Process

With the advent of the pandemic, MPAC had to work with its municipal partners to adapt how we collect this important information. We launched an online portal for the collection of building plans, supported some municipalities in their adoption of new e-permitting software, and worked to identify new ways to support the modernization of the building permit process. Mary Dawson-Cole, Regional Manager, shares some of MPAC’s learnings during the pandemic, insights we’ve gathered from our building permit data, and a number of the initiatives we are exploring to support municipalities and the Province in the modernization of the building permit process.

Watch the recording here.

How MPAC Assesses Farm Properties

Join Mary Dawson-Cole - Regional Manager, and Karen Russell - Valuation Director, for this webinar to learn more about how MPAC values farmland properties in Ontario.  We will outline the key market drivers, the sales investigation process, the components of a farm property assessment, available incentive programs, and details of the small-scale value add farm class.

Watch the recording here.

MPAC Central Processing Facility - Update on Addressing, Severances and Consolidations

This month’s webinar is targeted to municipal staff who regularly submit information updates to MPAC that assist in changing the assessment roll for Ontario’s ratepayers. Join subject matter experts, Robert Warnes and Jason McLaughlin, Managers with MPAC’s Central Processing Facility (CPF), to learn more about: 

• Preliminary service level trends for 2021 for building permits, condominium growth, and severances; 
• How to leverage the new mailing and municipal addressing template and standard template guide; 
• How to work with MPAC’s Central Processing Facility (CPF) to process requests to combine or divide parcels of land; 
• Identifying an unmapped parcel and how those are being fixed. 

Watch the recording here.

How Does MPAC Assess Properties in Ontario?

MPAC assesses and classifies every property in Ontario, which provides the foundation of Ontario’s taxation system. 

Join our subject matter experts Tracy McIntyre, Regional Manager and Jake Lefebvre, Account Manager, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations and Amy Raycroft, Manager, Valuation and Customer Relations, for an overview of how we assess Ontario’s 5 million properties, including the:

• legislation relative to valuing properties;
• three approaches to value; and
• factors that go into our valuations.

Watch the recording here.

How the pandemic is impacting property sectors in Ontario

Join MPAC subject matter experts for an overview and discussion on MPAC’s analysis and insights into how the pandemic has impacted property sectors across Ontario, including residential, retail, hospitality and industrial sectors, among others.

Subject Matter Experts/Speakers:

• Chris Rickett, Director, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations
• Joe Regina, Director, Valuation and Assessment Standards

Watch the recording here.

Small Business Property Tax Subclass Policy Paper

Join MPAC for an overview of the soon-to-be released Ontario Small Business Property Tax Subclass Policy Paper. 

Developed by MPAC in partnership with its municipal and industry partners, the policy paper provides an overview of how the new Small Business Property Tax Subclass can be leveraged to achieve local economic development and planning goals, as well as pathways municipalities can review when looking to consider or implement this new optional property tax subclass. 

The session will be delivered by MPAC’s subject matter experts, Brian Gordon and Michelle Lindquist, Regional Managers, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations. There will also be a demonstration of a new geospatial tool by Jake Lefebvre, MPAC Account Manager, that will be available to assist municipalities with analysis of potential tax policy scenarios starting in 2022 in the New Municipal Connect. 

Watch the recording here.

Appeals Update

Join MPAC subject matter experts Georgia Ribeiro, Director, Legislative Interpretation, Litigation and Strategy and Tim Harrison, Director, Assessment Litigation and Dispute Resolution, for an update on the current state of property assessment appeals, including:

• Appeal numbers and scheduling;
• Current Schedule of Events for appeals; and
• Recent Assessment Review Board (ARB) decisions.

Watch the recording here.

Overview of 2022 Enumeration Process

Join MPAC’s Enumeration Project Team for an overview of MPAC’s role in the upcoming 2022 Municipal Election process. Shannon Long, Account Manager, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations and Brad Baker, Manager, Customer Interaction, Corporate and Information Services will share the project plan, timelines, legislated products, and strategies intended to improve the accuracy of the Preliminary List of Electors.  

Elections Ontario's (EO) Gene Genin, Director, Innovation and Electoral Transformation will also share an update related to the transition of the municipal voters list from MPAC to EO in January 2024.

Watch the recording here.

In Review: A look back at 2021 and what’s planned for 2022

2021 was a unique year, but supporting our municipal partners continued to be our primary focus. An uncertain reassessment landscape provided an opportunity for us to work on a new Municipal Connect, a small business tax class resource for municipalities, and a continued focus on how we share information – including e-plans, and e-permitting, and market sector trends. Join Carmelo Lipsi, Vice President and COO and Chris Rickett, Director, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations for a look back at 2021 and our Municipal Partnership Report. Also, get an early peak about some key projects planned in 2022 such as work on the future of the Assessment Roll, an e-permitting project with AMO/LAS, a new Municipal Master Services Agreement and ongoing work to ensure a successful enumeration process to support municipal, school board, and DSSAB elections. As always there will be time for your questions.

Watch the recording here.