Vaughan budget: public feedback flows in

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 18, 2015
By Adam Martin-Robbins

Vaughan residents want their property taxes spent on updating community centres, replacing trees, repairing roads, improving parks and alleviating traffic congestion, among other things, according to feedback received by city officials so far.

During the second round of budget talks, held Monday night at city hall, staff shared comments and questions from citizens submitted through a dedicated budget phone line, the city’s website, social media and public deputations to the finance committee.

That feedback, about 127 submissions, centred on six key “themes” - infrastructure, parks and trees, traffic, recreation and art, waste removal for condominiums, property taxes - according to Director of Corporate Communications Gary Williams.

As for how the proposed budget and long-term financial plan addresses those issues, Director of Financial Planning Lloyd Noronha noted, there’s $167.1 million in proposed infrastructure spending over the next three years, on top of the $58.5 million in ongoing projects already under way.

The bulk of that money, about $100 million over three years, would go toward roadwork, Noronha said.

Another, $48.3 million is earmarked for renewal projects at various buildings, which includes renovations at various community centres including Al Palladini, Garnet A. Williams and Dufferin Clark, he noted.

The city is also planning to spend about $8.3 million on play structures, sports fields, basketball and tennis courts in the Vaughan parks.

On top of that, $14.5 million is slated for new parks in Maple, North Thornhill and, potentially, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

An additional $7.4 million has been slotted in for rehabilitation of existing parks.

 In terms of tree replacement, the city has earmarked $9.3 million over three years - or a little more than $3 million per year - to address damage wrought by the emerald ash borer and the December 2013 ice storm.

There’s also spending dedicated to addressing traffic congestion, always a major concern in Vaughan, including traffic engineering work as well as planning for the Concord GO Mobility Hub and improvements to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, Noronha said.

The city’s planned investments in recreation and art totals about $50.8 million over three years, but the bulk of that, nearly $35 million, is for the Carrville Community Centre and District Park, he added.

In answer to questions about when residents will see trash collection at condominiums, Noronha said the city plans to start doing that in 2018.

In order to help pay for some these programs and initiatives, the city is proposing to hike property taxes by 3 per cent each year for the next three years.

That’s the maximum tax increase allowed this term under a mandated cap imposed by council in 2014.

Should the draft 2016 budget be approved, unaltered, the average homeowner would see the city’s portion of their property tax bill rise by $40 to about $1,368, according to the latest figures provided by city finance staff.

That doesn’t include the hospital levy.

It also doesn’t include the Region of York’s share of the property tax bill or the education component paid to the province.

City hall watcher Richard Lorello, who was among about a dozen residents at the meeting, questioned why the city has slotted in more than $60,000 to pay its share of the costs of a proposed regional ombudsman when the provincial ombudsman will fulfill the function of complaints investigator starting Jan.1, for free.

Instead, Lorello suggested Vaughan put that money toward converting its internal auditor position into an auditor general position, with a broader mandate, and toward creating a lobbyist registry to be administered by the city’s current integrity commissioner.

Doing that, he noted, means the city would have, essentially, put in place all the oversight positions - ombudsman, auditor general, integrity commissioner and lobbyist registrar - municipalities can implement to foster greater accountability and transparency.

“We would be one of the few, if not the only, municipality outside of the City of Toronto that can actually stand up and say we have all four positions covered in our municipality,” said Lorello, a Kleinburg resident who ran for a regional council seat in 2014. “And that’s actually something to be proud of, if we can achieve it.”

Additional budget meetings are scheduled for Nov. 23 and Nov. 30 at city hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., at 7 p.m.

A special council meeting to approve the budget is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.