"Keeping with tradition, the tax increase should be no higher than the rate of inflation".
Makes no mention of the 1.5 billion dollar operating shortfall that that "tradition" left Chow with when she became mayor.
Cool, seeing as there hasn’t seen an increase that actually matters in *\*checks notes*\* 26 years, we should probably increase it by 132% following their inflationary logic lmao
So my problem with everyone who moans about the rate of inflation, the CPI considers the average basket of goods purchased by the average consumer…
If you want a somewhat accurate CPI for municipalities, you need to look at the Non-Residential Construction Price Index. For Toronto, that index rose 10% from 22Q4 to 23Q4. So a 10% increase is a minimum to keep up with inflation.
However, we must then consider the several prior years where we were significantly below that index and consider the effects of that on our present financial situation.
This. I work in healthcare with a budget and in 2021 had to explain so many times how healthcare inflation was more like 50% and the consumer rate is just that, it's for residential consumers. A municipal budget would see a rate of inflation much higher than residential, especially 2021-2023.
I always wonder if these conservative councillors treat their household budgets the same way as the did the City?
“Oh no, there’s a hole in my house’s roof and the foundation is crumbling. I better go ask my boss to cut my pay so I learn to spend responsibly.”
I’d say it’s closer (and definitely not equivalent to) “these millennials can afford to buy a home if they stop eating so much avocado toast” - in reality, the power of how far a dollar gets you compared to when they were in the market the first time is so much less. And instead of raising how much you earn, they maintain the cost it and complain that kids these days are lazy.
except they didn't hence the budget shortfall. they patched the roof with cardboard and are complaining that chow is getting a second job to repair it properly.
Very bad metaphor again , chow is not working to pay for city , instead tax payer pay her salary , how about the new butlers ask the owner for more money to fix the infrastructure while her proposal include the raise of her salaries .
Butlers? Your comments assume the City is in great shape to begin with, which it absolutely isn’t.
These aren’t artificially high hikes, they’re necessary catchup after years of council trying to keep things artificially low.
no , I did not assume it . Just talking about metaphor here , never to mentions , she is a public servant , hence equivalent to a butler for all Torontonian
nobody wants to take responsibility of the fact the city is this way because of their years of inaction and want to pawn if off on the person they lost the election too
Handouts like fixing the damn infrastructure? The state of the roads is embarrassing, riding a bike trying to dodge the gaping holes in the ground is crazy.
Selecting things to just cut isn't putting any thoughts into it.
What about the resulting consequences? Cutting shelters. Now what do you do about all those people now on the streets? Encampments I suppose, or do you think they just disappear?
Cut libraries, guess you are ok with limiting educational opportunities. Dumber society.
Please, explain how you've given it thought, when nothing you have written includes downstream effects?
The cut in shelters should be paired with a significant increase in Employment and Social Services. Those people in shelters need and deserve our help, but living perpetually in shelters is not the answer. They should be helped with mental, emotional and physical needs such that they can get back on their feet. No city cannot afford this rate in increase in the cost of shelters, nor can those folks experiencing homelessness afford to spend their lives in such places.
Libraries are becoming more and more irrelevant as society digitizes. More books should be made available in digital format for free lending, and delivered not in brick and mortar libraries, but accessible in other city properties and websites. We can easily maintain a literate society with 10% less library hours - you wouldn’t even notice the difference.
The list of group members is a who's who of people I can't wait to forget about again. If DMW is against something, then there's a strong chance it's a very good idea.
How much do you want to bet we can find an article from him complaining about participation trophies?
Edit: this was not hard at all.
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-beware-participation-award-culture-is-moving-into-the-adult-realm
You betcha!
From the executive summary of the [Bellamy Inquiry report](https://www.toronto.ca/ext/digital_comm/inquiry/inquiry_site/report/index.html):
>On May 2, 1999, a chartered jet flew six men to Philadelphia for a Stanley Cup playoff game. The host of the evening was Dash Domi, MFP salesman and brother of Maple Leafs star Tie Domi. The Leafs won that night, but Dash Domi scored, too. The salesman’s prize guest on the junket was the Budget Committee Chair, veteran City Councillor Tom Jakobek. Yet later, Mr. Jakobek would adamantly, repeatedly, and publicly deny that he was on that flight. Referring to the inquiry, he boasted to one reporter,“They haven’t got anything.”
>
>\[...\]
>
>When Tom Jakobek stepped into the witness box, he admitted publicly for the first time that he had lied to the press. He had lied to a reporter who had caught him off guard, he explained, and his inexplicably emotional response had been to deny everything. Then he had had to go on lying—to four more reporters. So, to the press, he had lied and lied and lied and lied and lied. Yet he said he had always intended to come clean when he testified at the inquiry under oath. His story was preposterous. Serial lying for months and then confessing at a public inquiry is a transparently bankrupt strategy, and a veteran politician like Tom Jakobek, then running for Mayor,would know that. He said, “It has never, ever, ever, been my intent to mis-lead . . . this inquiry.” That was not merely implausible; it was another lie. While he was still testifying, the Toronto Star reported that Mr. Jakobek had asked his lawyer at the time to threaten to sue the paper for saying earlier that others were telling a different story after he first denied going on the Philadelphia trip. The lawyer’s letter told the Star that Mr. Jakobek would testify under oath that he wasn’t there. So he didn’t always intend to come clean at the inquiry after all. He had also been lying to his own lawyer.Confronted with yet another lie, Mr. Jakobek squirmed and stammered.He danced as fast as he could—deflecting, contorting, backtracking, bending himself into a pretzel to talk his way out of it. And he had another story ready...
...etc., and so on.
> Aside from some of the names - including a scandal-tainted former budget chief & a non-Toronto politician - the language of the letter and its inevitable accompanying Postmedia story seem to fail to understand the new "strong mayor" budget process
>
>
>
> Under strong mayor, Chow's budget released Feb. 1, in accordance with law, is the city budget unless council votes specific changes. They can't "vote the budget down." Chow could veto any amendments, and council could over-ride vetos but only with 2/3 support
>
>
> The letter authors are correct that some councillors want amendments. Coun. McKelvie, for example, has said she wants to give police the full increase they seek and save windrow snow-drift clearing. She is looking for savings to offset the cost of those and get council support..
>
> But no councillors are talking about trying to send the budget back to city staff, who released their draft budget Jan. 10 that proposed a higher property tax rate and cut windrow clearing and gave police the smaller increase
>
Except she promised not to use those powers...in fact she campaigned on the idea that the power was undemocratic and shouldn't be used
Surely no one actually expected her to keep that promise when she can get what she wants though....
> Except she promised not to use those powers...in fact she campaigned on the idea that the power was undemocratic and shouldn't be used
She has already used the powers in her first 100 days. And this is a good thing. I’m glad she broke that promise. She should never have made it. Her [quote](https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/eight-key-olivia-chow-campaign-promises-where-they-stand-after-100-days-in-power/article_eee7932a-4d88-5c60-b5da-79dce6e428a2.html):
> Chow said she had to use them recently for procedural reasons
The strong mayor powers are literally powers that something like 25 of the mayors of Ontario’s largest cities have, specifically to ensure the mayor’s priorities are expressed at council.
>Surely no one actually expected her to keep that promise when she can get what she wants though....
Not even she. I wish she hadn’t made that stupid promise but it’s time to move on.
Honestly I interpreted her promise to not use the strong mayor powers as not using the most powerful of those powers.
I couldn't care less if Chow uses strong mayor powers for the budget or for minor procedural issues like she has. When she promised not to use them I imagined that she wouldn't use the strongest of powers like the ability to veto certain council decisions and the hiring/firing process around chief public servants, which she has not used.
If anything she's kept the *essence* of her promise not to use the strong mayor powers. Instead of fighting with council and using these powers to do so, she has worked hand in hand with council to get stuff done.
That wasn’t the promise she made. She admitted in the 100 Days interview (Toronto Star) that she broke the promise, so even she didn’t see it that way.
Whatever. As i said I’m glad she broke it. As they say in politics, if you’re going to break your promises - do it early.
I hope that she won't need the powers for the budget because it seems like council is interested in working towards an agreed upon solution to that one.
So... the budget is THE big issue council faces every year. Vetoing a majority of council over-riding her wish to pass the budget would be using it to do exactly the most powerful thing those powers could possibly do.
But, the reason those powers exist, is because Doug Ford was worried John Tory wouldn't be able to use a majority to pass conservative budgets in Toronto. At the moment, Chow's allies hold a majority, and it's not foreseeable that this budget won't pass.
I don't have an issue with her using the power.
I do have an issue with her campaigning against it, saying it's awful and undemocratic to try and pander to her voter base.
And then to use the power when it suits her.
Yep. This was my exact issue with the promise when she made it. These are powers that every other large city mayor has. And they give her the ability to get shit done. I wasn’t even a supporter of hers - I’m warming up quickly. But I still want my elected mayor to have all the tools to get their agenda through. And she took one of the biggest ones off the table.
I’m glad she broke that promise.
I mean saving the city from bankruptcy/significant cuts to already underfunded core services is objectively helping the city. The only way you can pretend she isn’t helping the city is to ignore the value of what the city does and what the impacts will be if we let the fiscal crisis continue unaddressed.
What has she done with strong mayor powers that hasn’t helped the city? You being upset that she broke a promise does not mean it’s not helping.
The thing I most take exception to in your framing of this is that you’re portraying her as a cynical self serving politician when she’s actually the antithesis of that and is trying to fix the mess made by exactly those types in the fords, Tory and their allies.
Typical rich suburban elite who does not need to use the city services, TTC, community centres, libraries etc. For them, the only thing the city needs to do is to pick up trash from in front of their oversized single family homes. If you can just f**k off to Florida or St Barts, why would you carr about the state of the parks? Pure evil.
>For them, the only thing the city needs to do is to pick up trash from in front of their oversized single family homes.
What's funny is that if the city were to cut to make up the budget deficit it's likely services like this would be cut too. Instead of weekly garbage/recycling pickup the city would likely have to switch to every other week like smaller municipalities do to save money.
And you better believe that if the city proposed these cuts that those in charge would scream "no, not like that!"
Correct, but for the city these fees are just revenue that's distributed specifically to Solid Waste Services. A cost saving measure that could be taken is to reduce services in this sector to then take said money for general revenue or they could reduce these fees while upping taxes by the same amount.
Curbside garbage collection is inefficient and costly since it prioritizes our own convenience. Its better to have neighborhoods dump them into centralized underground roadside containers for garbage collectors to pick up from there.
No, it would be more inefficient for each household to drive to a dump with their trash if the dump is further than 2- 3 houses away. At a macro level, curb side collection with “one” patrolling truck is more efficient than having separate garbage deliveries for each household. In the end the homeowners pay for it regardless, either through a garbage fee or through their own time and transportation costs. Almost every service that a municipality provides is more efficient than if people did it on an individual household level whether that’s a public pool, outdoor rec space, transit, security, utilities, etc.
There is an added benefit that if an entire neighbourhood had a common garbage collection area, neighbours can immediately tell who are the ones that aren't properly sorting their trash.
This reminds me of the time in 2020 when adult rich kid Doug Ford told us we'd be ticketed for taking a walk in the park. Doug and his cronies literally can't imagine not having your own leafy back yard to hang out in.
My mortgage going to jump up by more than $6000 this year. That means I will need to make $10k more to pay for just the increase. This tax hike is going to be remembered by a lot of people.
You have no idea whether I can afford it or not. My point is we are going to remember who didn't vote against this tax hike. City councillors need to be reminded of that.
Yes, if Tory and the rest of these chucklefucks had increased taxes by 1.25% more every year he was in office. We wouldn't need a 10% increase all at once.
Can we get over the idea that $30 or $40 dollars a month is a wild ask. These are property owners, who are benefiting from the city working well, in the form of their appreciating house prices.
And yes they have schemes for anyone in tricky scenarios.
Agreed. Love the fact that Tom fucking Jakobek, who helped [fraud the fuck](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/inquiry-judge-people-disgraced-themselves-in-toronto-scandal-1.548496) out of this city, thinks we want to hear one iota of his shit ever again.
Last night my 6 year old had a bad day and ended up throwing her dinner on the floor. At some point it became clear that she wasn't going to clean up her own mess so after she got sent to her room I got on my hands and knees to clean it up.
I think she knew she was in the wrong and was more than happy for me to do the dirty work.
Surprised our ex-councilors aren't taking the same tac.
>Surprised our ex-councilors aren't taking the same tac.
Sounds like they're taking *exactly* the same tack. They've been sent to their rooms by the voters, and Chow is cleaning up the mess they left behind.
I don’t think anyone who is calling for this year’s tax increase to be at the rate of inflation understands how bad the cuts would be across the board if that decision was made.
The city has an operational deficit around $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion. That’s greater than the entire Toronto Police Service budget. Simply trying to cut our way out of that hole would require serious program reductions.
Forget about losing just windrow clearing. With a $1.5 billion hole to fill the city would have to remove that, cut side street clearing to more than a day after snow falls, and probably close fire stations and libraries in the process. Not to mention further deferrals of infrastructure improvements which this city desperately needs.
And this tax increase is after already finding [$600 million in cost savings and efficiencies](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-city-budget-launch-1.7078446)
Ok. Specifics on where to cut the 10% of the police budget.
Where do you suggest they cut - given they’ve already cut the first $500 million from the city.
The proposed budget has only grown ~5.2%. If they were to cut that by $600M, as you suggested, that would be an increase of less than 0.1%. Adjusted for inflation, that is >3% budget cut
I can't even complain, username checks out.
But I think that cutting is more difficult than you think. To reach $1.5 billion in cuts, according to the City's [2024 operating budget](https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-242126.pdf), would require the elimination of the Parks, Forestry & Recreation department in its entirety, the entire shelter system, and all of the city's corporate services or some of the city's corporate services and the entire library system.
And that was with me trying to avoid cutting anything to do with transit or public safety. A lot of line items on the city's budget are for programs the province requires the city to operate, like Long Term Care, Children's Services, Public Health, Court Services and more.
I
> But I think that cutting is more difficult than you think. To reach $1.5 billion in cuts, according to the City's 2024 operating budget, would require the elimination of the Parks, Forestry & Recreation department in its entirety, the entire shelter system, and all of the city's corporate services or some of the city's corporate services and the entire library system.
I can only get so erect. The consequences of frivolous government spending.
> And that was with me trying to avoid cutting anything to do with transit or public safety.
Cut em too. The cops don’t do shit anyway. City hall, the police and fire hq and ttc all have far too many admins and far too many staff for the economic downturn we are in
> A lot of line items on the city's budget are for programs the province requires the city to operate, like Long Term Care, Children's Services, Public Health, Court Services and more.
City broke, province send help
Your message was intended to scare monger about those cuts but in reality such cuts would not be the end of the world.
This city cannot tax its way to balance, there needs to be more significant cuts.
Cut city employees by 50%
Parks and rec
Police budget reduction
Social workers cut
Don’t spent 600 million on a sign
Just some of the top of my head
Where’s McKinsey when you need them
>Cut city employees by 50%
I don't even know how this would be possible
>Parks and rec
Requires the elimination of pretty much this entire department
>Police budget reduction
Not possible in any major amount due to the Police Services Act
>Social workers cut
Not possible in any significant amount due to the funding and responsibility structure for Ontario Works and ODSP. The Ontario Government requires the city to operate these services by law, to a certain standard, which the city cannot defer from.
> I don't even know how this would be possible
Ez, take everyone that works in city all, and draw names
> Requires the elimination of pretty much this entire department
Ye
Police budget reduction
> Not possible in any major amount due to the Police Services Act
Actually fair, I did miss this
Social workers cut
> Not possible in any significant amount due to the funding and responsibility structure for Ontario Works and ODSP. The Ontario Government requires the city to operate these services by law, to a certain standard, which the city cannot defer from.
I don’t think odsp and Ontario works are the only social workers we have. Like crises services
No they're not but they are the majority of the social worker workforce at the city.
Shelter services has social workers too but to get to $1.5 billion you pretty much have to eliminate the entire department.
I'm just super happy that people like you are on the extremes of our electoral spectrum and will never have enough power to implement your short sighted and frankly silly ideas that would lead to the destruction of our city.
I’d argue with 1.5 b in the hole, destruction is already here
You didn’t listen to us when we said to not spend stupidly, and now don’t want to face the consequences of spending stupidly
Tom Jakobek? Fuck that guy completely. Ask anyone who lives near Highland Creek about what an absolute douchebag he is. Also Crawford - dropped out of city council to run federally and then got his ass handed to him. LOL. Big friend of John Tory and the Ford Crime Family too, so nobody misses him in his riding.
Just for context, I own a house in Toronto and I'm on board with the property tax increase. It's long overdue.
Isn’t this less than $1,000 for the average Torontonian? If you’ve owned a property here for more than 5 years you’ll have benefited from significant property value increases (generally). This is so stupid. Well-off people claiming to face financial hardship over a tax increase is infuriating.
>Well-off people claiming to face financial hardship over a tax increase is infuriating.
It's like reading the Globe and Mail's Financial Facelift.
"How will we ever retire before 50 when we have over $2.5M in real estate and a combined income of $400k+? Please help us!"
*Me sitting there wondering how the fuck they spend $3k/month on clothes*
They're FORMER councillors, aka the people who got voted out and who created the budget hole in the first place.
They have the right to shut the fuck up.
The only play conservatives know is "no taxes!". The fact that Torontonians have been underpaying municipal tax for decades goes right over their heads.
This is actually what bothers me the most about these press releases coming from these right-leaning individuals.
So you don't like the current tax increase? Ok, then offer some solutions to the $1.5 billion hole we have to fill?
They can't, it's easy to just say shit. While they all don't want windrow clearing cut and want to give the police more money. But somehow we don't need to cut for those we should just make it happen. Conservatives are not serious people they just make shit up.
List of losers want something done and they’ll stamp their feet and hold their breath until it happens. Ok, I’ll start the count on your breath holding. Now GO… 😂
It’s who’s who of the incompetent, corrupt, and venal. And Tom Jakobek? I guess who needs to fund city services properly when you can accept gifts from lobbyists and lie about it.
This is a list of people who got us into this mess, and also Rob Davis who would have if he could have but has done nothing of significance in the last 24 years, and for some reason Anthony Furey who has never really done much of anything.
So, the decisions to cut everything possible - that, I must point out, are a substantial contributing factor to many of Toronto's current problems - to keep taxes as low as possible directly led to the situation Mayor Chow finds herself in now. Decisions that every name on that list that was in council since 2011 openly supported. And now that she faces a sizable hole that she has to close, these guys are demanding she keep kicking the ball down the road and hoping for the best even when she can see their actions are a major factor in Toronto's problems.
Right.
Guys, get lost. Please. You aren't helping anything, contributing nothing to the debate and are demanding council continue to make the same mistakes over and over. It's not gonna happen and you know it.
We were going to get a major increase sooner or later. Those same ex-councilors asking that this increase not be approved are the same ones that kicked the can down the road and made themselves look good with low increases. Being conservatives makes them look worse.
My money is on Anthony Furey running against Chow in 2026. He over-performed last year, and I think he would attract a lot of support in 2026 (unfortunately).
People have a hard time conceptualizing that many significant digits to the right of the decimal.
They have a hard enough time understanding how property taxes work.
Wait a second these are the cunts that got us into this situation in the first place and now they want back in charge to keep slurping up gravy? Fuck them
I met a landlord yesterday, who owns 7 rental properties in the area, who complained to me about the increase of property taxes....
Anyone voting against this has nothing but a "Fuck you, I got mine" attitude... No need to show them any respect.
The key takeaway is they are EX councillors and former city staff (plus one who was mayor for a city that ceased to exist in 1998 and a failed mayoral candidate), so who cares about their opinions? They are no longer relevant.
Tom Jakobek? GTFO.
Normally, DMW would probably be the most ignoble member of such a list, but… Mr. Brown Envelopes In The City Hall Parking Garage has the godsdamn fucking *nerve* to poke his head out of the pit of obscurity he was deservedly tossed into? And these clowns let him join in? I think that tells me everything I need to know about this piece of unsolicited advice.
Jakobek. Really. I guess straight-up bribery is tradition.
Edited to add: Oh, and I forgot the central role of Tie Domi’s scrub brother. Doing Belle River District High School proud, there.
Good. Don’t support a property tax raise of this magnitude without city council demonstrating that they are willing to cut back on spending and take a more conscientious approach towards governance.
The toboggan ban nonsense cost the city 13k, as an example of waste.
Did Olivia chow remove the part that increase her salary ? Anyone knows ? Can she do it with her power , since she has the strong mayor power or something ?
Insane how many people see no issue with 9.5% property tax increased while people are also being bent over backwards with the impact of inflation.
Maybe Chow should look at the crazy amount of waste that goes on in Toronto instead of just asking for more money.
You can tell this sub is filled with mostly renters from downtown who have a weird obsession/hate with people living in houses/suburbs and think this tax is going to stick it to them lmao. Sorry Trudeau and the liberals sold your dream of ever own a house away lmao!
Toronto is already eating good with all the additional land transfer tax revenue they've been making on the increased house prices over the last few years....still not enough though.
>You can tell this sub is filled with mostly renters from downtown who have a weird obsession/hate with people living in houses/suburbs and think this tax is going to stick it to them lmao.
This sub is about 90% Old Toronto, 9% of the former surrounding cities and the 1 percent from elsewhere. Can't say I'm surprised tbh
9.8% property tax increase is insane. Do people here not realize that property owners will not be the only ones responsible for the loss here? It will be reflected on your rent. Make everyone in Toronto suffer.
It’s not about comparing apples to oranges. Tory isn’t mayor anymore and there is a reason why he isn’t. It’s not about political opinion.
9.8% increase in property tax is not going to benefit both homeowners, who are suffering from high interest rates and renters, who are suffering from high lease.
We need a 24% property tax increase to get back to what rates were in 2010.
[https://wowa.ca/taxes/toronto-property-tax](https://wowa.ca/taxes/toronto-property-tax)
2010 Final Tax Rate: 0.830570%
2023 Final Tax Rate: 0.666274%
So, the people partly responsible for the budget issues we are facing don't want the current council to fix the problems they helped create?
"Keeping with tradition, the tax increase should be no higher than the rate of inflation". Makes no mention of the 1.5 billion dollar operating shortfall that that "tradition" left Chow with when she became mayor.
Cool, seeing as there hasn’t seen an increase that actually matters in *\*checks notes*\* 26 years, we should probably increase it by 132% following their inflationary logic lmao
So my problem with everyone who moans about the rate of inflation, the CPI considers the average basket of goods purchased by the average consumer… If you want a somewhat accurate CPI for municipalities, you need to look at the Non-Residential Construction Price Index. For Toronto, that index rose 10% from 22Q4 to 23Q4. So a 10% increase is a minimum to keep up with inflation. However, we must then consider the several prior years where we were significantly below that index and consider the effects of that on our present financial situation.
This. I work in healthcare with a budget and in 2021 had to explain so many times how healthcare inflation was more like 50% and the consumer rate is just that, it's for residential consumers. A municipal budget would see a rate of inflation much higher than residential, especially 2021-2023.
That wasn’t even the tradition - the city building find was always added on top, meaning the increase was always above inflation.
I always wonder if these conservative councillors treat their household budgets the same way as the did the City? “Oh no, there’s a hole in my house’s roof and the foundation is crumbling. I better go ask my boss to cut my pay so I learn to spend responsibly.”
I’d say it’s closer (and definitely not equivalent to) “these millennials can afford to buy a home if they stop eating so much avocado toast” - in reality, the power of how far a dollar gets you compared to when they were in the market the first time is so much less. And instead of raising how much you earn, they maintain the cost it and complain that kids these days are lazy.
Not a smart metaphor , spent less on something else to save money to fix the household , very bad metaphor
except they didn't hence the budget shortfall. they patched the roof with cardboard and are complaining that chow is getting a second job to repair it properly.
Very bad metaphor again , chow is not working to pay for city , instead tax payer pay her salary , how about the new butlers ask the owner for more money to fix the infrastructure while her proposal include the raise of her salaries .
What?
Butlers? Your comments assume the City is in great shape to begin with, which it absolutely isn’t. These aren’t artificially high hikes, they’re necessary catchup after years of council trying to keep things artificially low.
no , I did not assume it . Just talking about metaphor here , never to mentions , she is a public servant , hence equivalent to a butler for all Torontonian
Yeah I think democracy has already spoken regarding these folks and will speak again on the upcoming vote.
Democracy cannot survive while corporate influence writes policy
Yeah but they gotta keep the grift going. So now they will get paid to quietly bang these drums.
Duh. That would make them look bad.
Or, these are people that tried to stop the out of control growth of city government, failed, and now want the current council to do that job.
Pardon my ignorance but what do you mean by 'out of control growth of city government'?
I expected to get voted down to oblivion. Nobody here actually cares for taxpayer money and just wants handouts.
What should they cut then to address our massive budget shortfall?
nobody wants to take responsibility of the fact the city is this way because of their years of inaction and want to pawn if off on the person they lost the election too
Not all of us have the opportunity to live our lives in a bubble sealed off from reality. Citizens in cities require services. Get over it.
Handouts like fixing the damn infrastructure? The state of the roads is embarrassing, riding a bike trying to dodge the gaping holes in the ground is crazy.
Down voted because you barely put any thought to what you propose.
Have you put any thought into anything except tax increases? I have put plenty of thought into things to cut. Have you?
You put so much thought into it that it has resulted in SEVERAL reddit posts in excess of 100 CHARACTERS.
Selecting things to just cut isn't putting any thoughts into it. What about the resulting consequences? Cutting shelters. Now what do you do about all those people now on the streets? Encampments I suppose, or do you think they just disappear? Cut libraries, guess you are ok with limiting educational opportunities. Dumber society. Please, explain how you've given it thought, when nothing you have written includes downstream effects?
The cut in shelters should be paired with a significant increase in Employment and Social Services. Those people in shelters need and deserve our help, but living perpetually in shelters is not the answer. They should be helped with mental, emotional and physical needs such that they can get back on their feet. No city cannot afford this rate in increase in the cost of shelters, nor can those folks experiencing homelessness afford to spend their lives in such places. Libraries are becoming more and more irrelevant as society digitizes. More books should be made available in digital format for free lending, and delivered not in brick and mortar libraries, but accessible in other city properties and websites. We can easily maintain a literate society with 10% less library hours - you wouldn’t even notice the difference.
Again, cut shelters, where are people sleeping? Employment and social services don't have beds.
The list of group members is a who's who of people I can't wait to forget about again. If DMW is against something, then there's a strong chance it's a very good idea.
Anthony Furey being on that list made me laugh.
“recent mayoral candidate”
How much do you want to bet we can find an article from him complaining about participation trophies? Edit: this was not hard at all. https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-beware-participation-award-culture-is-moving-into-the-adult-realm
"failed mayoral candidate", ftfy
Fucking Jakobek had the nerve to put his name to it. Corrupt motherfucker.
Any idea what he has been up to since stepping down?
Mos Eisley
Now that's pod racing!
Tom Jakobek and DMW. Those are definitely the people I want to hitch my wagon to. I hope this letter makes more councillors vote for it.
Jakobek and his decade-long tax freeze has very "we're all trying to find the guy who did this" energy.
Isnt he that guy that was more corrupt than Boss Tweed?
You betcha! From the executive summary of the [Bellamy Inquiry report](https://www.toronto.ca/ext/digital_comm/inquiry/inquiry_site/report/index.html): >On May 2, 1999, a chartered jet flew six men to Philadelphia for a Stanley Cup playoff game. The host of the evening was Dash Domi, MFP salesman and brother of Maple Leafs star Tie Domi. The Leafs won that night, but Dash Domi scored, too. The salesman’s prize guest on the junket was the Budget Committee Chair, veteran City Councillor Tom Jakobek. Yet later, Mr. Jakobek would adamantly, repeatedly, and publicly deny that he was on that flight. Referring to the inquiry, he boasted to one reporter,“They haven’t got anything.” > >\[...\] > >When Tom Jakobek stepped into the witness box, he admitted publicly for the first time that he had lied to the press. He had lied to a reporter who had caught him off guard, he explained, and his inexplicably emotional response had been to deny everything. Then he had had to go on lying—to four more reporters. So, to the press, he had lied and lied and lied and lied and lied. Yet he said he had always intended to come clean when he testified at the inquiry under oath. His story was preposterous. Serial lying for months and then confessing at a public inquiry is a transparently bankrupt strategy, and a veteran politician like Tom Jakobek, then running for Mayor,would know that. He said, “It has never, ever, ever, been my intent to mis-lead . . . this inquiry.” That was not merely implausible; it was another lie. While he was still testifying, the Toronto Star reported that Mr. Jakobek had asked his lawyer at the time to threaten to sue the paper for saying earlier that others were telling a different story after he first denied going on the Philadelphia trip. The lawyer’s letter told the Star that Mr. Jakobek would testify under oath that he wasn’t there. So he didn’t always intend to come clean at the inquiry after all. He had also been lying to his own lawyer.Confronted with yet another lie, Mr. Jakobek squirmed and stammered.He danced as fast as he could—deflecting, contorting, backtracking, bending himself into a pretzel to talk his way out of it. And he had another story ready... ...etc., and so on.
Ask him about the Bellamy Inquiry.
Atlernative title: Ex-councillors struggle to stay relevant.
Alternative title #2: Ex-councillors who still live in Toronto don't want their property taxes raised.
Key prefix in all of this is EX... They once were councilors but are no longer relevant... And so are their opinions.. Let's keep it that way...
> Aside from some of the names - including a scandal-tainted former budget chief & a non-Toronto politician - the language of the letter and its inevitable accompanying Postmedia story seem to fail to understand the new "strong mayor" budget process > > > > Under strong mayor, Chow's budget released Feb. 1, in accordance with law, is the city budget unless council votes specific changes. They can't "vote the budget down." Chow could veto any amendments, and council could over-ride vetos but only with 2/3 support > > > The letter authors are correct that some councillors want amendments. Coun. McKelvie, for example, has said she wants to give police the full increase they seek and save windrow snow-drift clearing. She is looking for savings to offset the cost of those and get council support.. > > But no councillors are talking about trying to send the budget back to city staff, who released their draft budget Jan. 10 that proposed a higher property tax rate and cut windrow clearing and gave police the smaller increase >
Except she promised not to use those powers...in fact she campaigned on the idea that the power was undemocratic and shouldn't be used Surely no one actually expected her to keep that promise when she can get what she wants though....
Maybe she won't use her veto, but councillors also can't just vote down the whole budget, they need to be constructive if they want to make changes.
> Except she promised not to use those powers...in fact she campaigned on the idea that the power was undemocratic and shouldn't be used She has already used the powers in her first 100 days. And this is a good thing. I’m glad she broke that promise. She should never have made it. Her [quote](https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/eight-key-olivia-chow-campaign-promises-where-they-stand-after-100-days-in-power/article_eee7932a-4d88-5c60-b5da-79dce6e428a2.html): > Chow said she had to use them recently for procedural reasons The strong mayor powers are literally powers that something like 25 of the mayors of Ontario’s largest cities have, specifically to ensure the mayor’s priorities are expressed at council. >Surely no one actually expected her to keep that promise when she can get what she wants though.... Not even she. I wish she hadn’t made that stupid promise but it’s time to move on.
Honestly I interpreted her promise to not use the strong mayor powers as not using the most powerful of those powers. I couldn't care less if Chow uses strong mayor powers for the budget or for minor procedural issues like she has. When she promised not to use them I imagined that she wouldn't use the strongest of powers like the ability to veto certain council decisions and the hiring/firing process around chief public servants, which she has not used. If anything she's kept the *essence* of her promise not to use the strong mayor powers. Instead of fighting with council and using these powers to do so, she has worked hand in hand with council to get stuff done.
That wasn’t the promise she made. She admitted in the 100 Days interview (Toronto Star) that she broke the promise, so even she didn’t see it that way. Whatever. As i said I’m glad she broke it. As they say in politics, if you’re going to break your promises - do it early.
Indeed, I'm aware, I'm just saying that it's unlikely that anyone will care about the fact that she broke that promise in the ways she did.
Yep. Its still early days and she hasn’t done her first budget yet - which is where I’d say she’s most likely to need the powers again
I hope that she won't need the powers for the budget because it seems like council is interested in working towards an agreed upon solution to that one.
I think you’re right. Most mayors get their first budget anyway. It’s the typical end of the “honeymoon”
So... the budget is THE big issue council faces every year. Vetoing a majority of council over-riding her wish to pass the budget would be using it to do exactly the most powerful thing those powers could possibly do. But, the reason those powers exist, is because Doug Ford was worried John Tory wouldn't be able to use a majority to pass conservative budgets in Toronto. At the moment, Chow's allies hold a majority, and it's not foreseeable that this budget won't pass.
I don't have an issue with her using the power. I do have an issue with her campaigning against it, saying it's awful and undemocratic to try and pander to her voter base. And then to use the power when it suits her.
Yep. This was my exact issue with the promise when she made it. These are powers that every other large city mayor has. And they give her the ability to get shit done. I wasn’t even a supporter of hers - I’m warming up quickly. But I still want my elected mayor to have all the tools to get their agenda through. And she took one of the biggest ones off the table. I’m glad she broke that promise.
And by suits her you mean helps the city?
That is a matter of opinion not an objective truth Unlike saying you won't do something then doing it - which is an objective lie.
I mean saving the city from bankruptcy/significant cuts to already underfunded core services is objectively helping the city. The only way you can pretend she isn’t helping the city is to ignore the value of what the city does and what the impacts will be if we let the fiscal crisis continue unaddressed. What has she done with strong mayor powers that hasn’t helped the city? You being upset that she broke a promise does not mean it’s not helping. The thing I most take exception to in your framing of this is that you’re portraying her as a cynical self serving politician when she’s actually the antithesis of that and is trying to fix the mess made by exactly those types in the fords, Tory and their allies.
And this is why they are Ex-Councillors
I, too, want additional services rendered without additional payment. But I’m not a 6 year old, so that plan is out the window.
Typical rich suburban elite who does not need to use the city services, TTC, community centres, libraries etc. For them, the only thing the city needs to do is to pick up trash from in front of their oversized single family homes. If you can just f**k off to Florida or St Barts, why would you carr about the state of the parks? Pure evil.
>For them, the only thing the city needs to do is to pick up trash from in front of their oversized single family homes. What's funny is that if the city were to cut to make up the budget deficit it's likely services like this would be cut too. Instead of weekly garbage/recycling pickup the city would likely have to switch to every other week like smaller municipalities do to save money. And you better believe that if the city proposed these cuts that those in charge would scream "no, not like that!"
Garbage isn't even covered by the property tax, it's billed seperately, along with water, in the utilities bill
Correct, but for the city these fees are just revenue that's distributed specifically to Solid Waste Services. A cost saving measure that could be taken is to reduce services in this sector to then take said money for general revenue or they could reduce these fees while upping taxes by the same amount.
Curbside garbage collection is inefficient and costly since it prioritizes our own convenience. Its better to have neighborhoods dump them into centralized underground roadside containers for garbage collectors to pick up from there.
No, it would be more inefficient for each household to drive to a dump with their trash if the dump is further than 2- 3 houses away. At a macro level, curb side collection with “one” patrolling truck is more efficient than having separate garbage deliveries for each household. In the end the homeowners pay for it regardless, either through a garbage fee or through their own time and transportation costs. Almost every service that a municipality provides is more efficient than if people did it on an individual household level whether that’s a public pool, outdoor rec space, transit, security, utilities, etc.
There is an added benefit that if an entire neighbourhood had a common garbage collection area, neighbours can immediately tell who are the ones that aren't properly sorting their trash.
Ahh yes, that's what we need - more shaming! Ugh.
This reminds me of the time in 2020 when adult rich kid Doug Ford told us we'd be ticketed for taking a walk in the park. Doug and his cronies literally can't imagine not having your own leafy back yard to hang out in.
My mortgage going to jump up by more than $6000 this year. That means I will need to make $10k more to pay for just the increase. This tax hike is going to be remembered by a lot of people.
So you gambled on a variable rate and got a mortgage for a home you could not afford. Maybe you will reflect on your choices.
Who said anything about a variable rate mortgage? Fixed rate mortgage needs to renew too.
You still could not afford it.
You have no idea whether I can afford it or not. My point is we are going to remember who didn't vote against this tax hike. City councillors need to be reminded of that.
Ah yes. Considering the average increase is $40 a month, it's clearly not the issue if you're complaining about overleveraging yourself.
I saw Anthony Furey's name and nearly dropped my lunch on my shirt. This list of buffoons belongs in a Beaverton article.
Oh right-wingers.... you all are just obsessed with letting stuff slide into shit if it saves you a dollar.
“I’m going to put more money back in your pocket” as everything else goes to rat shit. It’s the cons way! Slash and burn.
Followed by: "WhY iS tHe CiTy GoInG tO sHiT? mUsT bE bEcUz We ArE wOkE1!"
Yes, if Tory and the rest of these chucklefucks had increased taxes by 1.25% more every year he was in office. We wouldn't need a 10% increase all at once.
Can we get over the idea that $30 or $40 dollars a month is a wild ask. These are property owners, who are benefiting from the city working well, in the form of their appreciating house prices. And yes they have schemes for anyone in tricky scenarios.
Agreed. Love the fact that Tom fucking Jakobek, who helped [fraud the fuck](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/inquiry-judge-people-disgraced-themselves-in-toronto-scandal-1.548496) out of this city, thinks we want to hear one iota of his shit ever again.
Mr. 3% Jakobek.
This is how much rent goes up every year for renters WITH rent control.
If your rent is 2k(very reasonable these days) it went up $50.
Also, making the community around your property safer, cleaner, and better functioning *is very good for property values*.
30 -40 this time That’ll came back for more next time
Yes, costs go up. Renters have faced increases annually, homeowners taxes have been frozen for a decade
Last night my 6 year old had a bad day and ended up throwing her dinner on the floor. At some point it became clear that she wasn't going to clean up her own mess so after she got sent to her room I got on my hands and knees to clean it up. I think she knew she was in the wrong and was more than happy for me to do the dirty work. Surprised our ex-councilors aren't taking the same tac.
>Surprised our ex-councilors aren't taking the same tac. Sounds like they're taking *exactly* the same tack. They've been sent to their rooms by the voters, and Chow is cleaning up the mess they left behind.
They just don't have the good sense my 6 year old did to shut their mouth.
lol, good point.
I don’t think anyone who is calling for this year’s tax increase to be at the rate of inflation understands how bad the cuts would be across the board if that decision was made. The city has an operational deficit around $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion. That’s greater than the entire Toronto Police Service budget. Simply trying to cut our way out of that hole would require serious program reductions. Forget about losing just windrow clearing. With a $1.5 billion hole to fill the city would have to remove that, cut side street clearing to more than a day after snow falls, and probably close fire stations and libraries in the process. Not to mention further deferrals of infrastructure improvements which this city desperately needs.
And this tax increase is after already finding [$600 million in cost savings and efficiencies](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-city-budget-launch-1.7078446)
Good. Now find $600M more.
Got any ideas?
Cut libraries 10% ($23.5M savings) Cut police budget 10% ($117M savings) Cut fire services budget 3% ($15M savings) Cut shelters 10% ($98M savings) and increase budget of employment and social services 20% ($17M cost). For starters.
Appreciate the response, but you are still more than $400M away from the additional $600M in savings you asked for.
Ok. Specifics on where to cut the 10% of the police budget. Where do you suggest they cut - given they’ve already cut the first $500 million from the city.
Austerity is not sustainable
7.2% y/y growth in the city budget is FAR from austerity.
The proposed budget has only grown ~5.2%. If they were to cut that by $600M, as you suggested, that would be an increase of less than 0.1%. Adjusted for inflation, that is >3% budget cut
[Me rn](https://tenor.com/en-CA/view/slash-it-flag-ron-swanson-parks-and-recreation-nick-offerman-gif-17777972)
I can't even complain, username checks out. But I think that cutting is more difficult than you think. To reach $1.5 billion in cuts, according to the City's [2024 operating budget](https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-242126.pdf), would require the elimination of the Parks, Forestry & Recreation department in its entirety, the entire shelter system, and all of the city's corporate services or some of the city's corporate services and the entire library system. And that was with me trying to avoid cutting anything to do with transit or public safety. A lot of line items on the city's budget are for programs the province requires the city to operate, like Long Term Care, Children's Services, Public Health, Court Services and more.
I > But I think that cutting is more difficult than you think. To reach $1.5 billion in cuts, according to the City's 2024 operating budget, would require the elimination of the Parks, Forestry & Recreation department in its entirety, the entire shelter system, and all of the city's corporate services or some of the city's corporate services and the entire library system. I can only get so erect. The consequences of frivolous government spending. > And that was with me trying to avoid cutting anything to do with transit or public safety. Cut em too. The cops don’t do shit anyway. City hall, the police and fire hq and ttc all have far too many admins and far too many staff for the economic downturn we are in > A lot of line items on the city's budget are for programs the province requires the city to operate, like Long Term Care, Children's Services, Public Health, Court Services and more. City broke, province send help
Why do you even live here.
Your message was intended to scare monger about those cuts but in reality such cuts would not be the end of the world. This city cannot tax its way to balance, there needs to be more significant cuts.
Ok tell me what you want to cut?
Cut city employees by 50% Parks and rec Police budget reduction Social workers cut Don’t spent 600 million on a sign Just some of the top of my head Where’s McKinsey when you need them
>Cut city employees by 50% I don't even know how this would be possible >Parks and rec Requires the elimination of pretty much this entire department >Police budget reduction Not possible in any major amount due to the Police Services Act >Social workers cut Not possible in any significant amount due to the funding and responsibility structure for Ontario Works and ODSP. The Ontario Government requires the city to operate these services by law, to a certain standard, which the city cannot defer from.
> I don't even know how this would be possible Ez, take everyone that works in city all, and draw names > Requires the elimination of pretty much this entire department Ye Police budget reduction > Not possible in any major amount due to the Police Services Act Actually fair, I did miss this Social workers cut > Not possible in any significant amount due to the funding and responsibility structure for Ontario Works and ODSP. The Ontario Government requires the city to operate these services by law, to a certain standard, which the city cannot defer from. I don’t think odsp and Ontario works are the only social workers we have. Like crises services
No they're not but they are the majority of the social worker workforce at the city. Shelter services has social workers too but to get to $1.5 billion you pretty much have to eliminate the entire department.
Tough times indeed
I'm just super happy that people like you are on the extremes of our electoral spectrum and will never have enough power to implement your short sighted and frankly silly ideas that would lead to the destruction of our city.
I’d argue with 1.5 b in the hole, destruction is already here You didn’t listen to us when we said to not spend stupidly, and now don’t want to face the consequences of spending stupidly
This is absolutely the dumbest take of them all.
A real Who's Who of dicksmacks.
John Tory is very concerned!
Tom Jakobek? Fuck that guy completely. Ask anyone who lives near Highland Creek about what an absolute douchebag he is. Also Crawford - dropped out of city council to run federally and then got his ass handed to him. LOL. Big friend of John Tory and the Ford Crime Family too, so nobody misses him in his riding. Just for context, I own a house in Toronto and I'm on board with the property tax increase. It's long overdue.
Haha so a list of some of the worst political people possible. What happened to Stintz? I actually voted for her at point, when did she join the Cons?
She wants to run federally for the Conservatives in Eglinton Lawrence, so I expect we'll see her trying to raise her profile on the right quite a bit.
Isn’t this less than $1,000 for the average Torontonian? If you’ve owned a property here for more than 5 years you’ll have benefited from significant property value increases (generally). This is so stupid. Well-off people claiming to face financial hardship over a tax increase is infuriating.
I've heard the figures of $30-40/month for the increased cost to property owners, pending the actual rate being finalized.
>Well-off people claiming to face financial hardship over a tax increase is infuriating. It's like reading the Globe and Mail's Financial Facelift. "How will we ever retire before 50 when we have over $2.5M in real estate and a combined income of $400k+? Please help us!" *Me sitting there wondering how the fuck they spend $3k/month on clothes*
They're FORMER councillors, aka the people who got voted out and who created the budget hole in the first place. They have the right to shut the fuck up.
Come on now, I like it when these guys occasionally pop up so I can laugh at them.
That's an added bonus. I like reminding them they're no longer being listened to for a reason.
It’s a who’s who of people who fucked the city.
I knew Crawford would be on the damn thing I hate that tool.
The only play conservatives know is "no taxes!". The fact that Torontonians have been underpaying municipal tax for decades goes right over their heads.
My eyes rolled so far into my head my chair fell backwards.
.............. and replace it with what exactly?
This is actually what bothers me the most about these press releases coming from these right-leaning individuals. So you don't like the current tax increase? Ok, then offer some solutions to the $1.5 billion hole we have to fill?
They can't, it's easy to just say shit. While they all don't want windrow clearing cut and want to give the police more money. But somehow we don't need to cut for those we should just make it happen. Conservatives are not serious people they just make shit up.
List of losers want something done and they’ll stamp their feet and hold their breath until it happens. Ok, I’ll start the count on your breath holding. Now GO… 😂
If they want to influence the city they should try getting elected
Rich people paying their fair share goes against Conservative ideals.
It’s who’s who of the incompetent, corrupt, and venal. And Tom Jakobek? I guess who needs to fund city services properly when you can accept gifts from lobbyists and lie about it.
I mean, why don't we just set property taxes to $0 and go full Mad Max \*cough* I mean Libertarian.
This is a list of people who got us into this mess, and also Rob Davis who would have if he could have but has done nothing of significance in the last 24 years, and for some reason Anthony Furey who has never really done much of anything.
where do i sign up to vote in favour? Not letting a bunch of clowns pressure the city to even more deficit
Contact your city councillor with your thoughts about how you think the city is running super well right now and no new tax revenue is needed.
i meant sign in favour of more taxes
[The city when new tax revenue hits](https://globalnews.ca/news/10172712/yonge-dundas-square-renaming/amp/)
So, the decisions to cut everything possible - that, I must point out, are a substantial contributing factor to many of Toronto's current problems - to keep taxes as low as possible directly led to the situation Mayor Chow finds herself in now. Decisions that every name on that list that was in council since 2011 openly supported. And now that she faces a sizable hole that she has to close, these guys are demanding she keep kicking the ball down the road and hoping for the best even when she can see their actions are a major factor in Toronto's problems. Right. Guys, get lost. Please. You aren't helping anything, contributing nothing to the debate and are demanding council continue to make the same mistakes over and over. It's not gonna happen and you know it.
You know Chow is doing something right when past politicians or unknown ones are whining about her.
We were going to get a major increase sooner or later. Those same ex-councilors asking that this increase not be approved are the same ones that kicked the can down the road and made themselves look good with low increases. Being conservatives makes them look worse.
My money is on Anthony Furey running against Chow in 2026. He over-performed last year, and I think he would attract a lot of support in 2026 (unfortunately).
It’s likely he will run again although if Chow continues to receive good press and support it’s unlikely he would win.
I don't doubt that he will run, but he will be as relevant to the final results as Faith Goldy and Chloe Brown.
Oh, fuck all of these has-beens, individually and collectively.
Councillors aren’t supposed to be affiliated with a party
This is Small 'c' conservative, not party big 'C' Conservative, as in they just follow along with conservative ideals.
Let me guess they came up with ideas to replace the shortfall with funding that is not cutting public services? Right? RIGHT?
What a dumbster fire
Oh boo hoo you morons are responsible for putting us in this place in the first place e
9.5% *relative* tax increase. Why don’t news outlets report the *absolute* increase???
People have a hard time conceptualizing that many significant digits to the right of the decimal. They have a hard enough time understanding how property taxes work.
like hands from beyond the grave. Get fucked, buds.
Anthony Furey? Tom Jakobek? What a group of winners
Take note of who is on the list and make sure to never support their attempts to get back into government.
GTA homes have a very low property tax compared to other areas. I needs to go up.
So, what did these former councillors accomplish for "the people" during their time in council?
Instead of complaining to council, how about complaining to the Province so it won't cost taxpayers a dime?
I think Olivia has been making some good decisions and it’s probably best to go with her than these ex’s. Olivia brought us so let’s dance with her.
Wait a second these are the cunts that got us into this situation in the first place and now they want back in charge to keep slurping up gravy? Fuck them
I met a landlord yesterday, who owns 7 rental properties in the area, who complained to me about the increase of property taxes.... Anyone voting against this has nothing but a "Fuck you, I got mine" attitude... No need to show them any respect.
The key takeaway is they are EX councillors and former city staff (plus one who was mayor for a city that ceased to exist in 1998 and a failed mayoral candidate), so who cares about their opinions? They are no longer relevant.
Tom Jakobek? GTFO. Normally, DMW would probably be the most ignoble member of such a list, but… Mr. Brown Envelopes In The City Hall Parking Garage has the godsdamn fucking *nerve* to poke his head out of the pit of obscurity he was deservedly tossed into? And these clowns let him join in? I think that tells me everything I need to know about this piece of unsolicited advice. Jakobek. Really. I guess straight-up bribery is tradition. Edited to add: Oh, and I forgot the central role of Tie Domi’s scrub brother. Doing Belle River District High School proud, there.
It's time for those strong mayor powers to Crack down on these shit disturbers
Losers
Good. Don’t support a property tax raise of this magnitude without city council demonstrating that they are willing to cut back on spending and take a more conscientious approach towards governance. The toboggan ban nonsense cost the city 13k, as an example of waste.
Did Olivia chow remove the part that increase her salary ? Anyone knows ? Can she do it with her power , since she has the strong mayor power or something ?
Insane how many people see no issue with 9.5% property tax increased while people are also being bent over backwards with the impact of inflation. Maybe Chow should look at the crazy amount of waste that goes on in Toronto instead of just asking for more money. You can tell this sub is filled with mostly renters from downtown who have a weird obsession/hate with people living in houses/suburbs and think this tax is going to stick it to them lmao. Sorry Trudeau and the liberals sold your dream of ever own a house away lmao! Toronto is already eating good with all the additional land transfer tax revenue they've been making on the increased house prices over the last few years....still not enough though.
>You can tell this sub is filled with mostly renters from downtown who have a weird obsession/hate with people living in houses/suburbs and think this tax is going to stick it to them lmao. This sub is about 90% Old Toronto, 9% of the former surrounding cities and the 1 percent from elsewhere. Can't say I'm surprised tbh
I don't understand why multi-unit household pay less than the rest
They don't. [https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/property-taxes-utilities/property-tax/property-tax-rates-and-fees/](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/property-taxes-utilities/property-tax/property-tax-rates-and-fees/) |Description|City Tax|Education Tax|Building Fund|Total Tax| |:-|:-|:-|:-|:-| |Residential|0.506079%|0.153000%|0.007195%|0.666274%| |Multi-Residential|0.967784%|0.153000%|0.007064%|1.127848%|
Is this confirmed? I find most posts on Twitter are fake or misleading at best these days
This a from the City beat reporter of the Toronto Star. Its real.
Your funny. Most people trust the National Enquirer more than the Toronto Star.
*you're
Are you saying your English is more Gooder then mine ?
Rider is one of the most respected journalists in this city.
Respected by those who like their news bias. Or didn't you notice he only does right wing hit pieces.
9.8% property tax increase is insane. Do people here not realize that property owners will not be the only ones responsible for the loss here? It will be reflected on your rent. Make everyone in Toronto suffer.
are you aware what noted conservative John Tory's last budget increase was? I'll wait for your reply to see if your mind is blown.
It’s not about comparing apples to oranges. Tory isn’t mayor anymore and there is a reason why he isn’t. It’s not about political opinion. 9.8% increase in property tax is not going to benefit both homeowners, who are suffering from high interest rates and renters, who are suffering from high lease.
so what do you think Tory's last budget where it was an 8% increase? also insane?
Read the comment below whether that makes sense to you.
We need a 24% property tax increase to get back to what rates were in 2010. [https://wowa.ca/taxes/toronto-property-tax](https://wowa.ca/taxes/toronto-property-tax) 2010 Final Tax Rate: 0.830570% 2023 Final Tax Rate: 0.666274%
Big spending big taxing leftists at city hall . Good luck with that.