metronews.ca
.

x

City proposes property tax hike, fees to tackle shortfall

more
  Lucas Oleniuk/Torstar News Service

Mayor David Miller and Shelley Carroll, city budget chief, answer questions yesterday after introducing the staff-recommended 2010 operating budget inside Toronto Council Chambers.

More about Toronto City Hall
CUPE 416 ratification vote set for Monday
Council transit vote ‘helpful’ to premier
Ford dismisses council transit vote as 'irrelevant'
Toronto wants out of Ontario Municipal Board

The chopping block
Some proposed cuts to city services

•    Eliminating Saturday service at Toronto courts and reducing weekday hours, closing at 4:30 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.
•    Eliminating in-person front counter service at the front desks of City Hall and civic centres. Residents will have to use kiosks and the 311 information line instead.
•    Reducing maintenance of facilities within parks.
•    Eliminating the door-to-door pet licensing program, with pet owners registering and renewing online.
•    Reducing Sunday hours at 27 of the 99 library branches for five weeks in the fall.
•    Reducing enforcement of the temporary sign bylaw.
•    Reducing overtime for fire services communications and marketing, fundraising and fire prevention units.
•    Reducing staff bylaw enforcement through “increased productivity.”
•    Shaving $5.9 million from the Toronto Police Service’s proposed budget.
•    Reducing council staff salary budgets by $338,000 by not hiring to fill vacant positions.
•    Reducing advertising and promotion costs of the Live-­Green program.

Published: February 17, 2010 5:35 a.m.
Last modified: February 16, 2010 11:04 p.m.
(1)
Print article
                  Text size
Toronto’s proposed 2010 budget includes a property tax hike of four per cent as well as new user fees meant to narrow its $382-million shortfall.

The tax hike matches last year’s four per cent increase.

It means a home worth $407,374, the average price in Toronto, will be hit with an extra $93 in property taxes.

Property taxes make up 39 per cent of the revenue for the city’s $9-billion budget.

Mayor David Miller notes that despite the rate jump, Toronto still pays the lowest property taxes of any other municipality in the 905 region.

But critics say a house in the suburbs will likely be situated on a much larger property.

Aside from the property tax hike, the city also wants to increase user fees and impose new costs for city-run services and facilities.

That includes a one-time charge of $50 per family to sign up for recreation programs.

Coun. Doug Holyday was quick off the mark to say this is no time to ask people for more money.

Each city department has also been asked to cut spending by five per cent in order to help the city meet its goal of reducing its budget by 10 per cent over two years.

City council will debate the final 2010 operating budget at a council meeting scheduled for April 15 and 16.

More about Toronto City Hall , Economy


Add your comment  

_

Comments are not reviewed before posting. If you believe a comment has violated the commenting guidelines, please alert a moderator using links provided.

Facebook
Twitter
Four Square
RSS
Gig Park
Mobile

F E A T U R E D   S P O N S O R S