Topic: Paying for City Services This document contains public input on paying for City services, including sources of revenue and investments or decreases in the budget. The public input was collected through open- ended questions in the Toronto Core Service Review Public Consultation Feedback Form. Information about the consultation as well as other data sets and results is available at http://www.toronto.ca/torontoservicereview/results.htm. Because of the large volume of comments received from 13,000 participants, multiple keyword searches were used to identify the information for this document. The comments below are in the order in which they were received, are listed by the question on the Feedback Form that they were responding to, and show the full response to the question which may include input on other topics. Responses: • To begin, what do you think are the most important issues facing our city in 2011? Please list up to three issues. • Are there any other important city-wide issues you think the City of Toronto should consider? • Do you have any other comments on how the City should fund services? • Is there anything else you would like City Council to consider when making decisions about services in the future? To begin, what do you think are the most important issues facing our city in 2011? Please list up to three issues. Paying for City Services: Important Issues 1. Not enough funding from provincial/federal governments 2. cost of garbage 3. budget cut 4. Cut waste in Programmes 5. You can cut a major part from the budget by cutting from the police budget the Toronto police now make too much money and are getting out of control they need a haircut 6. Being part of the maintenance. with the other 2 levels of government, of a healthy and vital arts sector 7. Land transfer tax 8. High User Fees 9. Cut spending - cut welfare payments 10. Balancing commitment to equitable access with need to raise funds through user fees 11. Limiting tax increase 12. Too little funding from higher levels of government 13. Taxes- no new taxes and need to keep existing taxes and user fees fair and affordable 1 – Theme Reports Paying for City Services: Important Issues 14. land transfer tax / property tax 15. Too High Property Tax 16. High taxes and fees 17. no fees for children's programs 18. Maintaining services to increase citizens' quality of life 19. Toronto Land Transfer Tax 20. mayor cutting income so that services can be cut 21. Policing costs downloaded to city from Provincial/Federal Gov 22. Impacts of select provincial/federal programs 23. Land Transfer Tax 24. the horrendous increase of privatization 25. Protection and increase of green space 26. services should not be cut much in a world class city. 27. increase in police budget 28. Police salary increase 29. social programs - do not cut 30. Funding from Province and Federal Governments 31. keeping fees and taxes as low as possible 32. Scrapping the land transfer tax 33. under-funding by the province 34. cut to services 35. tax/fee increase 36. Unfair treatment by other levels of government 37. Cut the nonsense & save resources star from the elected Mayor & Councillors 38. Tax increase 39. Feeding hungry children, increase child welfare 40. Mayor Ford's cut to City revenue 41. escalating taxes/user fees 42. wasteful spending, e.g..: police bonuses, consulting fees to analyze budget 43. Federal and Provincial Underfunding 44. Need to invest in Waterfront Toronto 45. user fees 46. cut excessive arts funding 47. user fees and higher taxes 48. Increasing fees of EVERYTHING 49. Increase efficiencies by reducing wasted spending (duplication of tasks, overstaffing, purchase process management) 50. Property tax breaks should not be given to religious organizations 51. Too Much Government At the Municipal, Provincial, and Federal Levels 52. Too much money leaving the city to the Federal and Provincial coffers in the form of income and sales taxes 2 – Theme Reports Paying for City Services: Important Issues 53. increased property tax 54. a reasonable budget that does not cut just to cut or not raise rates when they are necessary 55. A Myopic Focus On Tactical, Immediate Cost-Cutting Instead Of Broad Consultation With All Levels Of Citizenry & Levels of Government To Develop Long-Term, Strategic Plans For The Future Of Toronto 56. devolving power and taxes from province 57. increase of utilities bill (water...) 58. Charge a toll for commuters entering Toronto, Mon to Sat. London U.K. charges a toll for cars entering downtown London. 59. Bring back the $65.00 road tax on cars. It is a once a year fee. 60. cut back of existing services 61. money , old infrastructure, downloading from ont 62. Cut-backs on essential services 63. Increase Social Services Funding 64. User fees. 65. Provincial downloading: income redistribution programs like welfare, child care and public housing should not be funded by property taxes. 66. library service cut 67. raising public transportation fare 68. increase in income disparity 69. Taxes and user fees for non-discretionary services are too high 70. Fabricated fiscal crisis; there is no need to cut services 71. Property taxes and user fees in Toronto are too low. 72. provide funding for the continuation of the swimming pools in our public schools 73. to many usage fees 74. need to increase arts funding 75. high property tax 76. high land transfer tax 77. Cuts to services, increased user fees, etc. 78. Housing issues (including increase cost of rentals and bed bugs) 79. The city needs to invest more in urban planning and architecture 80. Increase funding for public transportation 81. ensure social services are maintained at current level or increase 82. multi residential property tax rates 83. property tax inconsistencies 84. funding from fed and prov 85. Have non-residents sharing the costs by installing electronic toll booths at the city limits 86. tuition fee increases 87. cut funding for women's society 88. insufficient financial support from provincial and federal governments 3 – Theme Reports Paying for City Services: Important Issues 89. Social Services - Downloading 90. Downloaded - Provincial costs 91. service fees for recreational programs 92. More communication with the general public before services are cut by city hall 93. Property tax getting too high 94. Huge Impending tax increase due to mayoral refusal to implement small increase 95. Property Tax 96. Cut backs and limited spaces in childcare 97. New funding formula with the province 98. ttc service cuts even though fare is still rising 99. increase level of pollution -air, noise and drinking water 100. Traffic (maybe congestion fees for downtown, like in London. UK) 101. property tax 102. user fees 103. Provincial funding shortfalls and downloading 104. downloading of programs by the province 105. Parking fees too high 106. excessive user fees and parking meter rates and restrictions 107. cut in services 108. too much tax money going out to other levels of government and not enough coming back to the city 109. low property tax 110. need to secure more funding from other levels of government. As the largest city in the country, Toronto's citizens pay out taxes federally & provincially but don't see much of that money back 111. Ensuring garbage privatization doesn't result in user fees or reduced recycling diversion 112. Structural deficit created by cancelling the vehicle registration fee 113. Cut backs to services 114. Cut backs to community programs, supports and resources (e.g. shutting down shelters and drop-ins, youth centres and arts program, health promotion programs such as HIV/AIDS prevention programs, etc) . Concerned about charging fees for free public services - will affect working families and the poor. 115. Cut backs to public services and settlement services 116. Increase in crimes 117. lack of funding from other levels of government 118. Handouts to the rich (re: tax cut) 119. Land transfer tax 120. tuition fees 121. Develop and Increase Community Centres and Services 122. Continue to provide and improve services without increasing fees 123. Cut backs to city services 4 – Theme Reports Paying for City Services: Important Issues 124. Public service cuts (do not cut) 125. The need to destroy a city to avoid any tax increase: you end up with you pay for a city that is cheap in every way! 126. increase and improve biking infrastructure 127. Lack of scrutiny of the Policing Budget increase 128. lack of federal funding for city 129. social services should not be cut 130. road tolls should be put in place 131. Too Many Services (need to cut many) 132. Toronto property tax 133. Increase social service income 134. Increasing prices of goods, no increase in incomes 135. expend TTC and reduce TTC fee 136. Reducing user fees for community program 137. We need to invest more in social services 138. parking fees 139. Keep plastic bag fee program 140. Taxes and User Fees 141. community centre user fees 142. Increase funding to social services 143. short sighted political decisions. saving money is okay but not at all costs. Toronto should strive to be great through progressive City lead projects and initiatives. If that costs a little more, I'm willing to pay for it through property taxes or vehicle registration fees 144. Coordination between the three levels of government 145. Not enough revenue streams. DO NOT read this as we need to lower taxes and dispense with fees. This is not about handing pork out to voters. 146. Need for increase of Police 147. traffic congestion - time for some sort of user pays fee? 148. Lack of TTC funding from federal govt.