The Mayor's personal life and problems have provided newsprint and mainstream media outlets with endless muckraking articles attacking
not only himself but also his, wife, children and brother to the extent of
gross overkill on an individual’s personal life and political policies.
The political reality of this saga could well be a
distraction used by Toronto’s elite, politicized mainstream media
outlets, political foes and party politics as an ongoing cover-up to
Ontario’s and the City’s decade of business tax scandal?
If you think I am nuts, well the facts point us in a disturbing and different direction than my sanity or lack thereof!
You see the City, thanks to the government at Queens Park
for the past decade, has been decreasing business property taxes at the direct
expense of residential property taxes as their own information below clearly
indicates for all to see.
From 2005 to 2014 the province of Ontario lowered general
business rates from 14% to 11% and small business tax rates
from 5.5% to 4.5%.
During this same time period, the City of Toronto increased its
residential property taxes by 30.66% while increasing business
property taxes by only 10.307%!
Get the picture yet?
Our federal government is no better and is also in on
this tax gate scandal at the direct expense of individual taxpayers. They
lowered general and investment business tax rates in 2005 from 22.12% to 15.0% for
2014 and their small business rate from 13.12% to 11.0%
All this going on while the media and some self-anointed
elite Torontonians are obsessed with the Mayor’s personal problems when his
political administration at the same time has prudently managed to keep
Toronto’s operating budget balanced as mandated by provincial legislation.
Ford’s four-year term has held residential property tax increase to 7.2% from 2011 to 2014. The inflation rate for this period is 6.5%. (1.2% projected for 2014)
Ford’s four-year term has held residential property tax increase to 7.2% from 2011 to 2014. The inflation rate for this period is 6.5%. (1.2% projected for 2014)
Compared to the 14.45% tax increases for residential property by the previous Mayoralty administration's last four years from 2010 to 2007!
Mayor Ford's administration has averaged residential property tax increase over his four-year term to 1.8% compared to the previous administrations' last four-year increase average of 3.61%.
A historic achievement for the taxpayers of Toronto by this politically prudent and transparent Mayor Ford and his administration regardless of his unfortunate personal problems.
Have we become anarchists and forgotten that all of us are
created equal and all are equally imperfect and there remain unequal laws and
taxes created by unjust people?
The
Toronto media has failed to mention in detail these facts that support the need
for residential property tax reform at the expense of business in my
humble opinion considering that youth unemployment in 2003 stood
at 16.4%.
And today after all these business tax reductions the unemployment rate for our Toronto youth has jumped to 19.8 %( unadjusted for seasonality)
The mainstream media corporations, political parties, career politicians, the elite's civic action groups, lobbyists and Toronto's union leaders ALL continually support NEW TAXES on Individuals and NOT on business, corporations, banks or unions their buddies and financial supporters!
Wake up Toronto as to just what the status quo has given you. Change is good!
In 2014 the City approved a $9.6 Billion Operating Budget
representing a residential property tax increase of 2.71 percent and a non-residential 0.75 percent tax increase
for businesses
In 2013 the City also maximized revenue sources, reduced the
impact of capital financing, and implemented a moderate municipal property tax
increase (2.00% residential and 0.67% non-residential) and a Toronto
Transit Commission (TTC) fare increase of 5 cents, which are in line with
inflation. City Council
approved a gross Operating Budget of $10.858 billion .2013 Budget
On January 17, 2012, the City Council approved a balanced tax-supported
2012 Operating Budget of $9.4 billion and a 2012-2021 Capital Budget and Plan
of $14.8 billion. The 2012 Operating Budget includes a 2.5 percent property tax increase
for residents, a 0.83 percent tax increase for businesses and a 10-cent fare
increase for TTC customers. 2012 Budget
In 2011, the Toronto City Council approved an Operating Budget that is balanced, includes no
major service cuts, and does
not include increases to property tax rates.
2011 Budget
2011 Budget
On April 15, 2010, Toronto City Council approved a 2010 Operating
Budget of $9.2 billion that includes a 2.9%
property tax increase for residents and a 0.967% property tax increase for
businesses. 2010 Budget
Summary
On March 31, 2009, the Toronto City Council approved an $8.7 billion
Operating Budget. The 2009 Capital Budget is part of the $25.9 billion 10-year capital plan, previously
approved in
December 2008. In 2009, the City
Council also approved a property tax increase of four percent for
residential properties and a 1.33 percent property tax levy increase for
multi-residential and commercial properties. 2009 Budget
Summary
On March 31, 2008, Toronto City Council approved an $8.2 billion
Operating Budget. The 2008 Capital Budget of $1.610 billion was previously
approved on December 10, 2007, as part of an $8.355 billion five-year capital
plan (2008-2012). In 2008, the City Council also approved a property
tax increase of 3.75 percent for single-family residential properties and a 1.5
percent increase for multi-residential and commercial properties. 2008 Budget
Summary
On April 23, 2007, the Toronto City Council approved a $7.8 billion
Operating Budget and a $1.432 billion tax-supported Capital Budget. In 2007, the City Council also approved a property tax increase of 3.8% for residential
properties and 1.26% for non-residential properties. City Budget 2007 Homepage
City Council in 2006 approved a $7.6 billion operating and $1.25
billion tax-supported capital budget for a 3.0% residential property tax increase and a
1.0% non-residential tax increase was also approved. City Budget 2006 Homepage
On March 1st, 2005, Toronto City Council approved a $7.1 billion
Operating Budget and $1.0 billion Capital Budget. In 2005, City Council also approved
a 3% property tax increase for residential properties and a 1.5% increase for
non-residential properties. City Budget 2005 Homepage
City Council in 2004 approved a $6.6 billion operating and $908
million tax-supported capital budget that contains a 3% tax increase for residential and a 1.5%
increase for non-residential properties. City Budget 2004 Homepage
City Council in 2003 approved a $6.4 billion operating budget and a
net tax levy of $2.85 billion. The result was a property tax increase of 3% for residential
homeowners and no increase for non-residential properties. Council also approved a $965 million capital budget
that for the most part maintains the City's assets in a state of good repair. City Budget 2003 Homepage
City Council approved the 2002 City budget which included a $6.2 billion
operating budget and $954 million capital budget for a total of about $7.2
billion. The operating budget represents a 1.6 percent increase over the 2001
operating budget. Toronto homeowners had a 4.3% property tax increase, or $79 per household on an average home valued
at $261,000 while no increase was made to non-residential
properties. City Budget 2002 Homepage
City Council in 2001 approved a $6.1 billion tax-supported operating budget and a
$1.120 billion tax-supported capital budget for the year 2001 with another $1.034 billion committed as
project cash flow over four years for a total capital budget of $2.154 billion.
The operating budget required a tax increase of 5% for homeowners and
no increase for non-residential properties. City Budget 2001 Homepage
City Council in 2000 approved a $5.9 billion operating budget that
ensured a third consecutive year of a property tax freeze. The budget met all existing financial
requirements to operate City services and enhanced several programs. City budget 2000 Homepage
The 1999 operating budget of $5.5 billion The Capital Budget Program gave priority to investing in City
facilities and infrastructure. City budget 1999 Homepage
City Council approved a 1998 operating budget of $5.6 billion and a capital
budget of $1 billion for the newly amalgamated city. By holding operating
expenditures at $5.6 billion, the City Council froze 1998 property tax rates at 1997 levels - delivering a "zero tax increase" and
maintaining city services and programs at existing levels. City budget 1998 Homepage
UPDATE March 2014.
Because the Star and Royson James make
statements and claims to contradict both Pennachetti and Rossinni along with the
Mayor does not make them factual or true. You be the judge!
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Thanks for your thoughts, comments and opinions, will be in touch. Peter Clarke