City staff recommend 5 per cent water rate increase, 2 per cent garbage increase

Council will vote to set the 2018 rate-supported budgets later this year.

Thestar.com
Oct. 3, 2017
By Jennifer Pagliaro

The City of Toronto is proposing to bump garbage and water rates up by the same amount next year as it did in 2017.

The rate-supported budget process for 2018 kicked off Friday, with councillors discussing a proposed 2 per cent increase in single family home garbage rates and a 5 per cent increase in water rates.

The same increases were approved in 2017.

"Over the last nine years we're running around a 1.6 per cent rate increase average, so we are trailing the rate of inflation year over year," Jim McKay, general manager of solid waste management services, told the budget committee Friday.

The starting point for garbage rates, which still have to be debated and set by council, are a 2 per cent increase or $4.99 more for small bins; $6.06 for medium; $8.23 for large; and $9.55 for extra-large. The new rates would be $254.66 for a small bin; $309.14 for medium; $419.85 for large; and $486.99 for extra-large.

The recommended rates would see a 1 per cent increase for multi-residential pick-up and 5.2 per cent for most other solid waste services.

McKay warned the city is stepping up efforts to reduce blue bin contamination and eyeing the possibility of fining repeat offenders.

Staff are recommending council continue with a plan to increase water rates by 5 per cent next year.

Council voted in 2015 to amend the city's 10-year capital plan to increase the water rate by 8 per cent in 2015-2016 and 5 per cent in 2017-2018 to cover $1 billion in previously unfunded capital projects.

The budget committee meets again next Friday and will hear from the public. Council will vote on the rate-supported budget at its Dec. 6-7 meeting.