TALKING TAXES: Toronto City Council kicks off budget debate

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Published Jan 10, 2020 • 1 minute read

City councillor and budget chair Gary Crawford speaks about BudgetTO, the City's budget for 2020, after the Toronto City Council meeting in Toronto, Ont. on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)

Your city taxes are going up — but for some councillors they aren’t going up enough.

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The annual budget debate kicked off Friday at City Hall with Mayor John Tory claiming it was a moderate and balanced plan and councillors like Gord Perks complaining there wasn’t enough new spending or enough in the way of new taxes.

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“We have kept the annual operating budget property tax increase at below the rate of inflation,” said budget chief and Ward 20 councillor Gary Crawford.

City Council began debating BudgetTO, the City’s budget for 2020, at Toronto City Hall in Toronto, Ont. on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)

That increase won’t include the city’s new building fund, which would add an additional 1.5% to property tax bills.

The Mayor was touting his success in finding efficiencies and investing an extra $67 million in what he says are the services that matter to residents.

“This budget, if approved by City Council, will hire 62 new paramedics, more than 300 police officers, and 121 TTC operators,” Tory said.

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Heather Taylor, the City of Toronto’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and City Manager Chris Murray (middle) release BudgetTO on Friday, January 10, 2020. (Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)

That $67 million would see an extra $15.3 million for poverty reduction, $5.9 million for climate change, $27.8 million on public safety, $9.5 million on transit and $8.5 million on other priorities. The budget also relies extensively on additional funding from the federal and provincial governments, including $77 million to offset the cost of refugee claimants in shelters.

Not enough says Ward 4 Councillor Gord Perks.

“This is not the kind of budget that you would put forward if you imagined the city of Toronto as a great place to live,” Perks said.

The councillor complained there is not enough investment in roads, transit or building repair and said the City should be seeking more tax revenue, including getting a portion of the provincial sales tax.

The debate continues next week.

blilley@postmedia.com

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