Farmers Forum staff
RICHMOND HILL — Crop farmer Paul Doner has become the latest victim of urban government overreach. But for many, it is not a surprise. He is one of the few farmers remaining in the city of Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, where farming is not well understood.
The Richmond Hill council voted to change the stormwater management fee from a flat-tax to a tax according to land base ownership. Donor’s fee increased 10,000 per cent, from $150 to almost $15,000.
A local golf course saw its fee jump to $48,000, he said. Doner said that his farm doesn’t actually receive stormwater services, adding that the city actually dumps stormwater on to his property.
Doner went to council to explain the situation and council voted 5-4 to return the new fee to staff for more study.
Richmond Hill councillor Tom Muench opposed the fee increase and said that it is an example of government that doesn’t understand the businesses they are regulating and doesn’t care.
