Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[evandyk]

It's really provincial law. You're allowed to evict tenants to do extensive renovations. There's provision for a right of first refusal to move back in after the renos, but people need to live somewhere, so mostly tenants will move on with their lives. And if they don't, you take some small portion of that $4M you're about to get from the sale to buy them out.

 

[evandyk]

I think the way she handled the budget and tax increase was pretty masterful. Everybody mostly knew Toronto needed higher taxes, and she just came in and did it with no drama.

More on Chow's budgeting mastery...

Matt Elliott: A year ago Toronto’s budget was a dumpster fire. Now the city’s running a surprise surplus. What happened?

There are two main reasons why this week council will debate the first budget report since before the COVID-19 pandemic to offer relatively good news.

www.thestar.com

I wonder if the stormwater charge issue will have more salience this year?

 

[Northern Light]

More on Chow's budgeting mastery...

Matt Elliott: A year ago Toronto’s budget was a dumpster fire. Now the city’s running a surprise surplus. What happened?

There are two main reasons why this week council will debate the first budget report since before the COVID-19 pandemic to offer relatively good news.

www.thestar.com

I wonder if the stormwater charge issue will have more salience this year?

I think the choice is going to be to pursue the parking levy rather than the stormwater one.

The two overlap.

Both punish surface parking; but the stormwater tax is a bit more complex to implement and would effect a lot of SFH for relatively little tax revenue.

 

[evandyk]

Either way, hopefully this year they come back, tell people they took the time to do the due diligence, select the best option, then get something passed.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think the choice is going to be to pursue the parking levy rather than the stormwater one.

The two overlap.

Both punish surface parking; but the stormwater tax is a bit more complex to implement and would effect a lot of SFH for relatively little tax revenue.

Though the stormwater tax is probably an easier sell when we just had that storm event - and she can probably use the "rain tax" label to her benefit now.

AoD