Vacant Unit Rebates

Visit saultstemarie.ca/vacancyrebatereview for more information.

The City of SSM currently provides tax relief to property owners with vacancies in commercial and industrial buildings. A property owner may apply to the program to receive 30% (commercial properties) and 35% (industrial properties) of total property taxes back from the municipality. This rebate is paid for as part of the overall tax levy. Residential property taxes fund approximately 70% of this subsidy. A property owner can apply for a rebate once his/her property has been vacant for 90 days and can collect the rebate for as long as it remains vacant.

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* 1. Please choose which most closely resembles your situation:

I am a commercial or industrial property owner in Sault Ste. Marie

I own a business in Sault Ste. Marie.

I am a Sault Ste. Marie resident.

I am not a Sault Ste. Marie resident.

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* 2. Do you support maintaining the vacancy rebate as it currently exists?

Yes

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* 3. Starting in 2017, the Province is allowing municipal governments the flexibility to revise the rebate program to best suit local needs or eliminate the program altogether. How do you think Sault Ste. Marie should proceed with the rebate program?

Keep the program as-is.

Eliminate the rebate program immediately.

Phase out the program over a number of years.

Keep the rebate, but modify the program.

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* 4. If you believe Sault Ste. Marie should keep the rebate but modify the program, what changes should be made? (More than one answer is allowed)

Limit the scope of the program - e.g., properties are only able to receive the rebate for one year every ten years

Limit the rebate to certain types of properties - e.g., shopping centres become ineligible

Establish more stringent eligibility requirements - e.g., properties must be in condition to lease immediately and property owner must show evidence of attempting to rent/lease

Limit the geographic area within which properties are eligible - e.g., only downtown

Other (please specify)

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* 1. Please choose which most closely resembles your situation:

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* 2. Do you support maintaining the vacancy rebate as it currently exists?

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* 3. Starting in 2017, the Province is allowing municipal governments the flexibility to revise the rebate program to best suit local needs or eliminate the program altogether. How do you think Sault Ste. Marie should proceed with the rebate program?

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* 4. If you believe Sault Ste. Marie should keep the rebate but modify the program, what changes should be made? (More than one answer is allowed)

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* 5. Do you have anything else you would like to add?