the historical home assessment value threshold of $150,000 for the respective taxation years to the following:

Tax Year	Threshold
2017	$154,500
2018	$159,000
2019	$163,500
2020	$168,000

Risk Analysis:

Applications for tax relief due to sickness and/or extreme poverty are allowed under Section 357 of the Ontario Municipal Act and therefore municipalities must have a mechanism in place to address these types of requests. The program currently offered by the City is specifically designed to provide temporary relief (maximum two years) to those property owners who qualify based upon the approved criteria. The program is voluntary however once application has been made, the required documents to support the application must be submitted for review or the application will be noted as incomplete.

It should be noted that Council must make the final decision in regards to these applications. Should applicants not be satisfied by recommendations of Administration or the PTRIRP they have the right to appeal to City Council for further consideration in conjunction with this report. Should City Council uphold the denial an appeal to the

Assessment Review Board (ARB) can be made by the applicant.

Aside from the financial impact there is very little risk associated with this program as applications are screened by Administration and supporting documentation is required prior to receiving approval. Applicants who are denied tax relief are allowed to make an appeal to the ARB.

Financial Matters:

The results of the 2020 program have been summarized in the chart below. Fourteen (14) applicants are being recommended for approval. Of those approved, one (1) had been approved for tax relief in a prior year, making this their second and final year of tax relief under this program. Due to privacy concerns only general reasons for denial have been stated. Additional information has been provided by way of confidential memo.