CTF Pre-budget submission

TORONTO: This morning the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Ontario Division presented its budget submission to the joint meeting of the Policy and Finance Committee and the Budget Advisory Committee at Toronto City Hall. The submission's five recommendations include:

1. Freezing residential property taxes, or at most limiting any increase in tax revenue to the rate of inflation.

2. Freezing business taxes and lowering them in subsequent years to attract investment and boost economic development.

3. Prioritizing spending on core services, trimming costs, and outsourcing services to balance the city's books.

4. Removing the cost of garbage collection from the property tax base and charging a revenue-neutral per-bag disposal fee.

5. Increasing TTC fares with a corresponding decrease in the portion of property taxes paid to subsidize transit.

"The City of Toronto has to find a way to live within its means, and stop hiking taxes or looking for government handouts to balance the budget," commented Ontario Director Tasha Kheiriddin. "Council must focus on core priorities and make Toronto a safe, well-maintained, and clean place to live. It must cut back on unnecessary spending and find ways of providing services more efficiently to taxpayers."