news-Civic Centre

City council has agreed to commit a further up to 100-thousand dollars to a Toronto-based law firm representing its interests during Essar Steel Algoma’s restructuring proceedings.
The further commitment brings the city’s total now to 375-thousand dollars—-an amount that city legal staff has called staggering but nothing compared to the 26-million dollars in what the city is owed by Essar Steel Algoma in property taxes.
The City filed a motion last week calling on the local steelmaker to immediately pay back taxes owed since it filed for court protection in November 2015 and all future post-filing property taxes.
The affidavit spelled out the potential impacts our City would face if Essar Steel Algoma continued not to pay its taxes during the restructuring proceedings which included a dramatic increase in taxes ranging from 12 to 20% or significant layoffs.
Mayor Christian Provezano has made clear that he is not in favour of a 12 to 20% tax increase and ward 1 councillor Steve Butland stated at last night’s meeting that there won’t be a 12% tax increase.