Mayor Olivia Chow maintains that the property tax increase included in the budget is ‘modest,’ pledges improved services
Toronto City Council approved a 9.5-per-cent property-tax increase, the largest hike in a quarter century, finalizing a $17-billion budget that Mayor Olivia Chow calls a first step in reversing the city’s decline.
Wednesday’s tax hike was somewhat overshadowed by drama around Ms. Chow’s move to reverse course and further increase the $1.2-billion police budget by another $12.6-million, a manoeuvre opposed by some activists in the city. Five of Ms. Chow’s left-leaning allies on council voted against the amendment to increase police funding. A protester who yelled “Shame!” as the mayor addressed council on the topic was removed from the chamber by security.
“I’m an immigrant kid, working class. You pay for what you spend. You don’t raid your savings accounts, because rainy days can happen,” Ms. Chow said. “I looked at the reserve funds – there’s not a lot left.” City officials have the task of coming up with a plan by July on how to reallocate the $1.9-billion in capital spending the city expects to save from relieving itself of responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway over the coming years.
In conceding the extra money for police, Ms. Chow said she expected lagging 911 response times to improve. She said she recently spoke with federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and that she expects police to receive funding from the $121-million Ottawa recently provided Ontario to battle auto theft. And she said talks with provincial and federal officials, as part of the new deal she secured on funding with Premier Doug Ford last year, are continuing.
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