Roads: Gardiner Expressway

[Filip]

Those advocating raising property taxes likely rent and do not pay into them.

For the reasons stated above (massively inflated property prices) - raising the mill rate to match surrounding municipalities would likely throw a good percentage of Torontonians out of their homes.

 

[LNahid2000]

Those advocating raising property taxes likely rent and do not pay into them.

Renters don't pay property taxes? Why are renters eligible for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit then? Renters do pay property taxes indirectly. If property taxes were raised, rents would go up as well because of the increase in property taxes.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Renters don't pay property taxes? Why are renters eligible for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit then? Renters do pay property taxes indirectly. If property taxes were raised, rents would go up as well because of the increase in property taxes.

The tax rate for apartments is actually 3x higher than residential proper.

AoD

 

[Filip]

Renters don't pay property taxes? Why are renters eligible for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit then? Renters do pay property taxes indirectly. If property taxes were raised, rents would go up as well because of the increase in property taxes.

The majority of Toronto's rental stock is not in condos, but traditional apartment buildings, (three storey to whatever it is) and those are taxed at commercial rates. Commercial rates are going down.

Now why renters are eligible for those breaks, I don't know. Probably the same reason why our provincial government is losing boatloads of money through misguided programs.

 

[LNahid2000]

The majority of Toronto's rental stock is not in condos, but traditional apartment buildings, (three storey to whatever it is) and those are taxed at commercial rates. Commercial rates are going down.

The tax rate for apartments is actually 3x higher than residential proper.

Looks like commercial rates are pretty damn high.

Now why renters are eligible for those breaks, I don't know. Probably the same reason why our provincial government is losing boatloads of money through misguided programs.

You don't know? It's obviously because renters pay property taxes indirectly.

 

[Filip]

Looks like commercial rates are pretty damn high.

You don't know? It's obviously because renters pay property taxes indirectly.

Commercial rates are going down. Not up.

Indirectly like I pay payroll taxes by purchasing something at Wal Mart? Nice try. Owners see property tax as a line item on their expenses. It gets too high and they cannot afford their homes. The reason why there is absolutely zero will aside from the ultra left of council to raise taxes more aggressively is exactly that. Renters don't see these line items and their rates are based on the market not the landlord's property tax. The landlord could get reassessed at a much higher value and not be able to pass on the increases to his tenant due to rent control laws. So how is that paying property tax even indirectly?

 

[LNahid2000]

Indirectly like I pay payroll taxes by purchasing something at Wal Mart? Nice try.

Totally different situation. The point is that renters also care about property taxes going up since this will increase rents.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Commercial rates are going down. Not up.

Indirectly like I pay payroll taxes by purchasing something at Wal Mart? Nice try. Owners see property tax as a line item on their expenses. It gets too high and they cannot afford their homes. The reason why there is absolutely zero will aside from the ultra left of council to raise taxes more aggressively is exactly that. Renters don't see these line items and their rates are based on the market not the landlord's property tax. The landlord could get reassessed at a much higher value and not be able to pass on the increases to his tenant due to rent control laws. So how is that paying property tax even indirectly?

Actually, see link, if the property tax goes up due to a higher assessment (like for property improvements), the landlord can request an rent increase.

The 2016 rent increase guideline is 2.0 per cent. Fifty per cent of this guideline is 1.0 per cent.

To claim an above guideline increase related to municipal taxes, costs should increase by more than 3.0 per cent (2.0 per cent + 1.0 per cent = 3.0 per cent.)

For example:

• In 2015, a landlord’s municipal taxes were $10,000.
• In 2016, the landlord’s municipal taxes increased to $10,500 - an increase of five per cent.
• Therefore, the landlord is eligible to apply for an above guideline increase because the landlord’s municipal taxes increased by more than 3.0 per cent.

 

[LNahid2000]

In addition, rent control does not apply for buildings built after 1991 (most condos). So the landlord doesn't even have to get permission to increase rent due to an increase in property tax.

 

[Euphoria]

I think the city should save a billion by scrapping the Hybrid Gardiner option and turning at least the stretch of Lake Shore between Jarvis and the DVP into a magnificent boulevard on the scale of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. This should really occur along the entire section of elevated expressway, but if this is at least done east of Jarvis, we'll have a beautiful gateway to the Port Lands. It will set the tone for that massive blank slate of these former industrial lands. Cherry Street is the first major north-south street to be developed through this area. The new streetcar ROW along it illustrates the possibilities for this as a grand entry to the Port Lands. To have an expressway bisect it, even some gussied up 'hybrid' version, speaks volumes about how little regard there has been in Toronto for the built environment. As for the remaining elevated portion of the Gardiner, I guess we'll have the token gesture of the Bentway Under Gardiner linear park to tie us over until the matter of an above ground expressway running through the heart of downtown finally gets addressed.

 

[raptor]

Gardiner East EA report is posted
http://www.gardinereast.ca/participate-online

 

[salsa]

The draft EA report has been posted online for public review and comment. The final report is expected in fall 2016.

http://www.gardinereast.ca/participate-online

 

[dunkalunk]

Thanks for actual news!

 

[ssiguy2]

Toronto could have this damn thing built cheaper than a new elevated route or a blvd..........it's called trenching.

Toronto has lland in the area so all they have to do is sell the land to a developer and they can build what they want OVER a trenched Gardiner. They would get a deal by the city selling it for less than the going rate but in return they build the highway underneath the development. The Gardiner would still a freeway but would be "out of sight out of mind".

This is not novel and in Toronto itself there are hundreds of examples of this......they are called underground parking but instead of parking, the traffic keep moving.

 

[nfitz]

Toronto could have this damn thing built cheaper than a new elevated route or a blvd..........it's called trenching.

Trench underneath the Don River?

And how do you trench south of the tracks? That's where the petroleum terminal used to be. You'd probably spend far more cleaning up all the oil in the ground, than the new structure on top would cost.