Canadian Urbanism Uncovered
Read more articles by Matthew Blackett
The recent fallout at City Hall over the city’s new taxation tools highlights the how Toronto’s fortunes are intertwined with the upcoming provincial election.
There are a variety of issues that will be debated dueing the election, but we want to know from our readers which public space issues are the most important for Toronto?
photo by Igor Mazic
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11 comments
I think there is a bit of overlap between the first and second choice; I’d have chosen both if I could. The TTC is just one of many services that the Province needs to more adequately fund.
Toronto’s “new taxing powers” were just one part of a two-part solution: giving Toronto the powers it needs to carry out its mandate (check), and fixing what Miller calls Toronto’s “flawed funding structure” (to do).
In the same vein as Kevin, the full cost of TTC was essentially downloaded on to the City when the provincial government stopped taking responsibility for 75% of capital costs and 50% of operating costs.
I would agree with Kevin, isn’t the first choice a necessary first step to achieving choice #2??
A solution to get funding would be for Toronto, and any surrounding city in the GTA who wishes to join, to gain independence from Ontario. Just imagine what it would be like if the city could keep the entire PST and a good fraction of income and corporate taxes it generates in its borders. The TTC could probably get 100% capital costs funded and up to 75% of its operating costs. Since the city wouldn’t be so dependant on property taxes it could lower it to competitive levels for homeowners and businesses to move in in droves. Time to move Ontario’s capital out of the city, maybe Thunder Bay would be a good option, the further away from us the better.
To a certan extent all the options (except the OMB one) depend on the first option. With proper funding the city would be able to fund the TTC to developed country levels and it would be easier to implement air quality and anti-sprawl policies.
Can we please leave separation from Ontario (or Canada) out of this? There are plenty of funding solutions that don’t require a constitutional amendment and won’t cost thousands of Torontonians their current jobs.
The provincial government is one of the city’s largest employers, and though the city might need about the same number of people to run its expanded services, the restructuring would carry huge costs — both economic and personal. Sure, the city gets a larger tax base, but it also gets a larger cost base: about $7.5 billion in health costs alone. And no, history shows that homeowners and businesses prefer stability and won’t flock to join the rebellion. Look no further than Montreal: rumblings of Quebec separation cost it the role of Canada’s largest and most influential city.
I would say “none of the above” and suggest instead “fix the (municipal) fiscal/taxation imbalance”, which includes correcting the current imbalance between education assessments on commercial property between 416 and 905, make progress on the generalized fiscal imbalance between revenues collected in the GTA and Toronto vs government services coming back into those areas, and correct the imbalance on provision of what should be region wide/provincial services on the municipal budget, this ought to address both 1 and 2.
make sure to read the question first: what is the most important PUBLIC SPACE issue for Toronto in the upcoming provincial election?
PUBLIC SPACE.
All of the issues presented as options are directly related to PUBLIC SPACE. I know there are other issues, but I suspect since Spacing is about public space/publicrealm/urban landscape, the question was worded so that it didn’t veer into other issues outside the magazine’s focus/mandate.
Spacing editors correct me if I’m wrong….
You are correct Ali.
Then it’s got to be air quality. You can have all of the public space you want, but if you can’t breathe in it…
I am sorry Matt, but I am entitled to my opinion. Just like the separatists in Quebec are entitled to theirs, even with we don’t like it. I don’t agree with a lot of things that people say, but I think they have the right to express themselves.
Separating from a country is not the same as creating a new Province, so your comparison is not a valid one. I believe a solution to Toronto’s financial problems would be to separate and no amount of government bureaucratic good paying jobs (at the expense of necessary programs and services paid by taxes) is worth defending if it is useless, redundant and wasteful.
I thought the discussion here was about people’s opinions about solving Toronto’s fiscal imbalance and that is what I did. I am sorry if my opinion offends you, but that is just how I feel and nothing you say will change that. Ontario does not deserve Toronto.
Be happy dude.