January 22 2016
Dear Neighbour,
This message is to share an update on the status of the Central Technical School (CTS) sports field project. I am committed to the completion of the sports field project because of the importance to the students and staff at CTS.
As you know, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) partnered with Razor Management Inc. (RMI) to complete this project.
Together over the past several months, RMI, the TDSB, the City of Toronto, and school and community organizations have come together to work toward the best possible outcome for this field, for the benefit of the students and the school community. I fully support these efforts and want this field to be available to CTS students and the community as soon as possible.
You may know that a similar sports field at Monarch Park CI was recently assessed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). MPAC is a provincial agency that reviews, assesses, and sets tax rates for residential, commercial, and industrial properties for taxes payable to the municipality and provincial government.
I am writing to alert you to this tax issue because MPAC may also be looking to undertake a similar assessment on the field at CTS once it becomes fully operational, however, please note that the CTS field has not been reassessed at this point.
It is also important to note that the agreement between the TDSB and RMI states that RMI is responsible for payment of any taxes assessed on the property. That being said, RMI has not formally notified the TDSB of a change in its plans to complete the CTS project, and the TDSB remains committed to the completion of this field because it is very important to the students at the school.
On December 9th, the Board of Trustees deferred a decision on the issue to allow more information to be obtained, and committed its willingness to immediately provide non-monetary support to RMI in the established process of an assessment appeal at MPAC.
The TDSB is committed to working with RMI to find solutions that will keep the project on schedule. I continue to meet with staff and students at the school and work with Board staff to keep the school and interested community members updated on the status of the project. In the near future, the Director of Education will be meeting with RMI to continue the dialogue on keeping this project moving forward.
Please feel free to be in touch with me at any time about this matter, and I will do my best to keep you informed of new developments.
Thank you,
Ausma Malik
Trustee, TDSB Ward 10, Trinity-Spadina