With a multi-million tax refund looming for the city to repay the Resolute Pulp and paper mill, Minister Bill Mauro is speaking out on the possibility of Thunder Bay receiving provincial assistance.
MPAC had originally assessed the mill value at $72 million, but Resolute appealed that to the Assessment Review Board and the valuation was reduced to $32.6 million.
Ontario Liberal party cabinet minister and MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan, Mauro says there is support for smaller towns with large paper mills to receive help when they can’t deal with reassessment.
But he says Thunder Bay is considered a larger centre, which should be able to cope with the re-assessment.
City officials say they have exhausted all options and will have to refund the taxes, something Mauro says the province will assist in if possible.