Property Taxes
Your property taxes help keep Callander safe, welcoming, and running smoothly. Every dollar you contribute supports the programs, services, and spaces that our community relies on every day.
🏡 What Your Property Taxes Support
✔ Reliable Municipal Services
Roads, Sidewalks & Winter Maintenance
- Snow plowing
- Sanding for safe driving
- Pothole repair & resurfacing
- Culvert replacement & ditch maintenance
Waste Management
✔ Fire Services & Emergency Response
- Fire & Emergency Services operations
- Fire trucks, rescue tools & equipment
- Fire Hall operations
- Fire prevention education at community events
✔ Parks, Recreation & Community Spaces
- Centennial Park, Museum, playgrounds, trails (incl. Cranberry Trail), waterfront access
- Bill Barber Arena & South Shore Rink
- Community events: Family Day Skate, Easter Egg Hunt, FunFest, Callander Lights Up Christmas
✔ Planning, Development & By‑Law Services
- Land‑use planning & development applications
- By‑law education & enforcement (property standards, parking, noise, animal control)Some planning processes include additional user fees.
✔ Municipal Governance & Customer Service
- Council and committee meetings
- Customer service (in‑person, phone, online)
- Public communications, website updates, emergency alerts via VoyentAlert
- Legislated asset management planning for municipal infrastructure
✔ Provincial Education Levy
A portion of your tax bill goes to the Province of Ontario to fund education. This amount does not stay with the Municipality.
💧 Water & Wastewater (Billed Separately)
These services are not funded by property taxes.
- Homes on municipal water receive water bills
- Homes on municipal wastewater receive wastewater bills
- Private well/septic homes do not pay municipal water/wastewater fees
💼 How User Fees Keep Taxes Fair
User fees ensure only those who use a service pay for it. Examples:
- Building permits
- Planning applications
- Arena ice rentals
- Community Centre rentals
View our 2026 User Fees here.
🏛 Municipal Finances: Operating at Cost
Ontario municipalities cannot make a profit. They must:
- Approve an annual balanced budget
- Set taxes only to fund required services
- Use surpluses for reserves or future infrastructure
📉 Why Property Tax Rates Differ
- Service Levels & Priorities: Small population, broad services.
- Infrastructure Age & Upkeep: Roads, culverts, waterfront areas, older buildings.
- Tax Base Differences: Mostly residential, fewer commercial/industrial properties.
❤️ Working Together for a Stronger Community
Your property taxes support the services, infrastructure, and amenities that make Callander a safe, welcoming, and thriving hometown.
🔗 Additional Resources
MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) is Ontario’s independent, not‑for‑profit property assessor. MPAC determines the assessed value and classification for more than 5 million properties across Ontario and shares this information with municipalities, who then set local tax rates to fund services. Your assessment is not your tax bill.
Who does what (at a glance)
- MPAC: Determines your property’s assessed value and classification.
- Municipality: Sets the municipal tax rate and issues your property tax bill.
- Province: Sets assessment/taxation laws and the education tax rate.
What your assessment means
Your assessed value is MPAC’s standardized estimate used for taxation purposes and may differ from current market value. Municipalities use MPAC’s values, plus their budget needs, to calculate your final taxes.
Read your Property Assessment Notice
When you receive a Notice, review it carefully. It includes your Roll Number and Access Key—use these to sign into AboutMyProperty™ to see the data MPAC has on file and compare with similar properties. If you disagree with your assessment, you can file a Request for Reconsideration (RfR) online (free).
Additional Information:
Make changes or updates (common requests)
You can do the following online through MPAC:
- Request a copy of your notice
- Disagree with your assessment (submit an RfR)
- Submit an assessment information request
- Change your mailing address
- Authorize a representative
- Check eligibility for certain exemptions
Start here: https://www.mpac.ca/en/MakingChangesUpdates [mpac.ca]
Change your School Support
MPAC’s School Support Portal lets property owners (and tenants where applicable) update school support designation online via AboutMyProperty™. A step‑by‑step guide is available (EN/FR).
- School Support Designation: https://www.mpac.ca/en/MakingChangesUpdates/SchoolSupportDesignation [mpac.ca]
- Guide (PDF): https://www.mpac.ca/sites/default/files/docs/pdf/guide-schoolsupport-onlineportal-en.pdf [mpac.ca]
