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Miller eyes parking lot tax
Mayor floats possible surcharge as one way to use city's new taxing powers to fulfill his green agenda
Nov. 27, 2006. 01:00 AM
JIM BYERS
CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Mayor David Miller, freshly armed with new taxing powers by Queen's Park, is considering the possibility of parking lot surcharges in downtown Toronto and North York's city centre.
And newly elected Toronto councillor Adam Vaughan said the city could perhaps go further, charging for city parking permits according to the size of the car you're driving.
"If you think about it, why should someone who drives a Hummer pay the same for a parking permit as someone who drives a Smart car?" Vaughan asked.
"You could have a system where owners of cars that give off higher emissions pay more for parking permits."
Miller's parking lot surcharge, mentioned now as just a possibility, would both limit car use in the downtown — if you're going to pay more for parking, the thinking goes, you'll more quickly consider public transit — and raise money for programs that help cut the smog that poisons our air.
"I think we can be a leader," Miller told the Star. "We're going to work to develop new strategies to deal with climate change."
The mayor said he'd limit the parking lot surcharges to downtown Toronto and North York's city centre because, he argued, it wouldn't be fair to implement such a tax in areas where people depend on cars to get to work.
It's a different story, he noted, in the two downtowns, both of which are well-served by public transit.
Miller's taken aim at cars in the downtown before — campaigning for the mayor's job in 2003, he briefly floated the idea of charging drivers a $2.25 toll to use the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway.
Miller said the need for action is underscored by a recent survey that placed Canada near the bottom in a list of 56 countries working to stop global warming.
The survey, by the environmental groups Germanwatch and Climate Action Network-Europe, ranked Canada in 51st place, between Thailand and Kazakhstan, but ahead of the United States and China.
"To finish 51st in the world, that's unacceptable," Miller said. "We can change Canada's ranking by working with cities around the world."
Rather than wait for an unwilling Ottawa to do its part, Miller said, he's looking at the historic, far-reaching powers he and Toronto council are about to assume thanks to new provincial legislation.
Miller said he intends to push his green agenda by immediately using those powers, designed to influence public behaviour in all sorts of new ways, and by exercising the mandate given him by his recent re-election landslide.
Miller plans to outline some of his ideas at the inaugural city council meeting on Dec. 5, and told the Star he has several ideas on how to position Toronto as a leader in climate change. In addition to parking lot surcharges, he's also looking at having business improvement associations generate solar power en masse and sell unused power back to the city.
Miller was one of several North American mayors lauded by Vanity Fair magazine this year for their green initiatives. The magazine also mentioned the efforts of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and San Francisco's Gavin Newsom.
In a speech delivered this month, the mayor said it's up to the city to make a difference.
"The federal government hasn't shown leadership. We're working with cities around the world to demonstrate that we can make real change to the actions of individuals, and local government and local non-profit organizations. We need to let people know and give them the options because people want to make a change."
Miller's election platform said he would "develop a comprehensive climate change plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to help combat global warming." He also pledged to "implement the remaining components of the city's smog plan and develop a new, aggressive clean air action plan that will reduce smog-causing pollutants by 20 per cent by 2012."
Miller said this week that, under his leadership, council already has taken steps to battle climate change.
"We've purchased hybrid buses and hybrid vehicles," he said.
"We have a plan to combat smog. We can bring in a transportation plan with real alternatives such as cycling, and we can make it so people can work near where they live or work at home."
A report in September by the Toronto Environmental Alliance said Miller and city council have been all talk and little action over the past three years. But Miller said the city didn't have the tools it needed in the past. That has changed with provincial approval of the City of Toronto Act, which bestows new taxing powers and other privileges to make the city less of a child of the province and more of an independent body.
"We can create incentives that we weren't able to create before," the mayor said.
He's not the only council member looking at Toronto's new powers.
Vaughan, a councillor-elect, said he was stunned at a recent briefing on the City of Toronto Act, learning about all sorts of powers enshrined in the act that the city could use.
In addition to higher parking fees for bigger cars, Vaughan noted, the city could create development fees based on how "green" a new building was.
"If you have a green roof and solar panels and good windows and such, you pay a certain amount. But if you want to cut corners you pay a higher price and generate revenue for the city. People who don't build best-use projects, you could whack them pretty hard," he said.
Miller isn't saying how much a parking surcharge might be, if it's the ultimate decision of council.
In addition to new powers for council as a whole, the mayor has also been granted the power to appoint council committee chairs — and fire them if they don't follow his mandate.
That gives Miller the ability to push his environmental agenda — and other platform pledges — with a much stronger force than he could muster in his first term.
He also has a new, environmentally friendly council. In addition to Vaughan, the new council features Gord Perks, the former senior campaigner for the Toronto Environmental Alliance and an outspoken environmentalist.
"It's full-steam ahead," Miller said.
"This is a critical action item for council, and we're going to be leaders on climate change."
====================================
Remember this image?
Now this is the strong mayor we've been hoping to see emerge from Miller.
Critics were being unreasonable when they charged that Miller hadn't done enough in his first term.
As I had always argued, Miller was quietly building the foundation to move ahead. He's been setting the chess board in his favor and now we see some real leadership emerging and major moves on the horizon.
The next 4 years are going to be very exciting.
Mayor floats possible surcharge as one way to use city's new taxing powers to fulfill his green agenda
Nov. 27, 2006. 01:00 AM
JIM BYERS
CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Mayor David Miller, freshly armed with new taxing powers by Queen's Park, is considering the possibility of parking lot surcharges in downtown Toronto and North York's city centre.
And newly elected Toronto councillor Adam Vaughan said the city could perhaps go further, charging for city parking permits according to the size of the car you're driving.
"If you think about it, why should someone who drives a Hummer pay the same for a parking permit as someone who drives a Smart car?" Vaughan asked.
"You could have a system where owners of cars that give off higher emissions pay more for parking permits."
Miller's parking lot surcharge, mentioned now as just a possibility, would both limit car use in the downtown — if you're going to pay more for parking, the thinking goes, you'll more quickly consider public transit — and raise money for programs that help cut the smog that poisons our air.
"I think we can be a leader," Miller told the Star. "We're going to work to develop new strategies to deal with climate change."
The mayor said he'd limit the parking lot surcharges to downtown Toronto and North York's city centre because, he argued, it wouldn't be fair to implement such a tax in areas where people depend on cars to get to work.
It's a different story, he noted, in the two downtowns, both of which are well-served by public transit.
Miller's taken aim at cars in the downtown before — campaigning for the mayor's job in 2003, he briefly floated the idea of charging drivers a $2.25 toll to use the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway.
Miller said the need for action is underscored by a recent survey that placed Canada near the bottom in a list of 56 countries working to stop global warming.
The survey, by the environmental groups Germanwatch and Climate Action Network-Europe, ranked Canada in 51st place, between Thailand and Kazakhstan, but ahead of the United States and China.
"To finish 51st in the world, that's unacceptable," Miller said. "We can change Canada's ranking by working with cities around the world."
Rather than wait for an unwilling Ottawa to do its part, Miller said, he's looking at the historic, far-reaching powers he and Toronto council are about to assume thanks to new provincial legislation.
Miller said he intends to push his green agenda by immediately using those powers, designed to influence public behaviour in all sorts of new ways, and by exercising the mandate given him by his recent re-election landslide.
Miller plans to outline some of his ideas at the inaugural city council meeting on Dec. 5, and told the Star he has several ideas on how to position Toronto as a leader in climate change. In addition to parking lot surcharges, he's also looking at having business improvement associations generate solar power en masse and sell unused power back to the city.
Miller was one of several North American mayors lauded by Vanity Fair magazine this year for their green initiatives. The magazine also mentioned the efforts of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and San Francisco's Gavin Newsom.
In a speech delivered this month, the mayor said it's up to the city to make a difference.
"The federal government hasn't shown leadership. We're working with cities around the world to demonstrate that we can make real change to the actions of individuals, and local government and local non-profit organizations. We need to let people know and give them the options because people want to make a change."
Miller's election platform said he would "develop a comprehensive climate change plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to help combat global warming." He also pledged to "implement the remaining components of the city's smog plan and develop a new, aggressive clean air action plan that will reduce smog-causing pollutants by 20 per cent by 2012."
Miller said this week that, under his leadership, council already has taken steps to battle climate change.
"We've purchased hybrid buses and hybrid vehicles," he said.
"We have a plan to combat smog. We can bring in a transportation plan with real alternatives such as cycling, and we can make it so people can work near where they live or work at home."
A report in September by the Toronto Environmental Alliance said Miller and city council have been all talk and little action over the past three years. But Miller said the city didn't have the tools it needed in the past. That has changed with provincial approval of the City of Toronto Act, which bestows new taxing powers and other privileges to make the city less of a child of the province and more of an independent body.
"We can create incentives that we weren't able to create before," the mayor said.
He's not the only council member looking at Toronto's new powers.
Vaughan, a councillor-elect, said he was stunned at a recent briefing on the City of Toronto Act, learning about all sorts of powers enshrined in the act that the city could use.
In addition to higher parking fees for bigger cars, Vaughan noted, the city could create development fees based on how "green" a new building was.
"If you have a green roof and solar panels and good windows and such, you pay a certain amount. But if you want to cut corners you pay a higher price and generate revenue for the city. People who don't build best-use projects, you could whack them pretty hard," he said.
Miller isn't saying how much a parking surcharge might be, if it's the ultimate decision of council.
In addition to new powers for council as a whole, the mayor has also been granted the power to appoint council committee chairs — and fire them if they don't follow his mandate.
That gives Miller the ability to push his environmental agenda — and other platform pledges — with a much stronger force than he could muster in his first term.
He also has a new, environmentally friendly council. In addition to Vaughan, the new council features Gord Perks, the former senior campaigner for the Toronto Environmental Alliance and an outspoken environmentalist.
"It's full-steam ahead," Miller said.
"This is a critical action item for council, and we're going to be leaders on climate change."
====================================
Remember this image?
Now this is the strong mayor we've been hoping to see emerge from Miller.
Critics were being unreasonable when they charged that Miller hadn't done enough in his first term.
As I had always argued, Miller was quietly building the foundation to move ahead. He's been setting the chess board in his favor and now we see some real leadership emerging and major moves on the horizon.
The next 4 years are going to be very exciting.