How should the District address perceived inequities by seasonal residents who pay for a service they don’t use to the extent of year-round residents, such as solid waste disposal?
The issue was discussed at length at the June 18 Engineer and Public Works Committee meeting.
It was prompted by a resolution from the Township of Muskoka Lakes requesting that the District improve equity for ratepayers who do not use their property and the service year-round. The resolution requests that the District modify its waste disposal service and provide free garbage bag tags for seasonal residents.
At the District public works committee in April, the committee asked staff to return this month with options.
District staff returned with two options. The first option, recommended by staff, would restore the bag drop-off limit to two bags per week and consider implementing a “pay-as-you-throw” model for the entire system as part of its Solid Waste Master Plan, expected to be completed in mid-2026. The second option would involve a pilot program providing ten bag tags to approximately 4,500 seasonal residents in Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay who receive drop-off service only.
Committee members did not agree with any of those options, noting that it simply increases the amount of garbage that can be disposed of rather than addressing perceived inequities in the system. Some also noted that seasonal residents may want to use a private service to dispose of their waste or take it with them. Discussions surrounding charging ratepayers with vacant, undevelopable properties, for the service also surfaced.
District chair Jeff Lehman summarized the issue. “The key point that I understood committee was trying to address the last time is the fact that, by the accident of timing, for seasonal residents, they can’t drop off as much waste as residents who are here full-time. So if you’re here for 52 weeks in the year, you get your weekly allotment, and you’re putting 52 weeks’ worth of garbage into the landfill. Seasonal residents are not doing that but often paying well more in the levy because of their property value, and that’s an issue that I have learned in Muskoka we often talk about, but that’s the way the system works. You pay based on the value of your property, and the level of service doesn’t change whether you pay $10,000 in taxes or $1,000 in taxes. However, the reality of how these properties are used by seasonal residents ends up in our system with this inequity,” he said.
“We’re in the midst of the Solid Waste Master Plan and perhaps it will evolve the system to “pay-as-you-throw” over time but I don’t think this report addressed the core issue that committee was requesting which is how can we address the inequity in level of service and I recognize not everybody sees it that way, but certainly the residents who pay their taxes see it that way.”
Other concerns included the impact changes could have on the cost of the service to the year-round population.
In the end, committee decided to refer further discussions to the August 21, 2025, council meeting, where an update on the progress of the creation of the Solid Waste Master Plan is expected to be presented.
You can find the staff report HERE.
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I thought the same thing. This is a non- starter. Ridiculous!
Now isn’t this a fine example of wasted time and useless brain pain? You have the property, you pay the fees. We all get to do that, but go ahead and feel free to b$*&h. Maybe if District would have a look at the breaks that are afforded to Canadian citizens who own properties in the US or other countries, they would be enlightened. Or likely find there are none.
If you spend only six months in your apartment in Paris or at your property in Phoenix, do those places only charge you fees and taxes for the six months? Not hardly!
All this because of garbage pick up! Maybe we could look into only paying fees and taxes while we are actually home? Motion sensor monitors? For the love of Pete, I’m just kidding!
But then again….. District if you are hard up for stuff to study on!!
Ms. Hudel: I appreciate your comment, however to clarify, I paraphrased Ms.Frith’s comments. Ms.Frith is much more polite and did NOT use the term”suck it up buttercup”; that was all me. Also, I’m not certain seasonal resident’s pay more..though being on waterfront would dictate that, as local people do if they live/own waterfront. As far as my point to pay up or sell..there is no doubt disgruntled seasonal taxpayers would be replaced by other fortunate people looking for a “second home”..Muskoka real estate is precious and owning it is a privilege fewer and fewer people are able to afford.
Susan Godfrey and. Ms Frith stated on the garbage issue ..Suck it up Buttercup…to seasonal property owners. I understand the seasonal residents pay more property taxes than full time residents. That point if correct was missed . Too bad.
Also I do not know of any town or city that have to use clear bags to this date.
The dislike of the locals of the summer residents continues and has for years. Would the income money from the summer residents affect the area’s income if they left the district?
Then who would say..Suck it up Buttercup.
I am in agreement with Ms. Frith whom, if I can respectfully paraphrase said, “suck it up buttercup”. If you are fortunate enough to own a second property in Muskoka then you can pay for your garbage removal just like the rest of us….or sell, your choice.
Our Muskoka taxes provide property owners year round services regardless of when you occupy your property. There are no “seasonal” police to confirm how often you occupy your property.
Learn to pack it in , pack it out if you have to!!
So I’ve been hearing the line “how can we help your business” from various government agencies for years. From places like RTO-12, MTMA and other Provincial and Federal tourism based agencies. The ultimate goal of all these groups and the local government (Township and District) is to try to maintain the local feel of our community by supporting traditional local business such as resorts, and other tourism based industries.
This is written right into the official plan so they must be, at least in some way serious about this goal.
Then, however, this same set of various government agencies starts to actually “go to work” and well….
Business can’t dump garbage from their commercial business at all! There is no allowance, the business must pay.
As a non garbage but similar issue note that business cannot get a free water test for safety of their water system like residential sites can do. Business is “mandated”, word that is a slightly nicer way of saying “has been dictated to” that they get a periodic water test. These tests are definitely not free, being about $35.00 per test and you have to deliver the sample to the pick up site during about a half hour window of time, once a month. This usually requires a dedicated 80km round trip to Huntsville. Add this to the water test cost, time and fuel would make this nearly a $100 item plus the $35 for the actual test. Not cheap or inconsequential but this cost ignored by government.
So having gone off topic with water, back to the garbage. If we want to talk “fairness” here why not just charge for garbage by the pound for everyone? The scale and attendant are already in place. Forget all the discussions in an effort to hide the fact that the basic system is unfair to start with and just run every vehicle over the scale and charge the $ per Ton rate. If you want to simplify things if the weight is less than a minimum amount maybe let that be free to reduce the attendant’s work a bit.
It seems unfair from the start to say that a business, one that probably pays more tax than a household, does not get any service for garbage at the municipal level.
If District does not like this and prefers that business find “other solutions” to their trash problems then just take the tax already applied off the business tax bill so they can use that money for the private services then must then hire. Services that currently the District charges us for but does not deliver. That is the definition of “unfair”.
Maybe the seasonal residents have a point.
The Huntsville residents have reduced pickup in the winter, every 2 weeks. I could say that is not fair. Maybe seasonal people could also ask why are they paying for garbage services at home in the summer when they are not there. There are other inequalities like paying for schools if you don’t have children. It’s part of being in a community. Perhaps you should ask not to pay for the garbage pick up here and just take it home with you where you pay all year. Quit complaining.
As far as I am concerned, people with vacant land and seasonal residents should not get any special treatment. The service is available to them all year – whether they choose to use it or not. A big problem we have is houses / cottages that sit empty for all or part of the year – while we have a housing shortage. There is no way we should be encouraging this by adjusting our taxes or services. This has always been the cost of owning a seasonal residence. It is not unfair at all. My family owns a cottage in Cape Breton and I never use the garbage collection service (I drop off my waste at the landfill) and I have no problem with that or with paying my taxes.