Vaughan caps tax hike at 2.5%

Vaughan Citizen
Jan. 16, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

You’re facing a 2.5 per cent property tax hike from the city this year.

That works out to about $32 for the average homeowner, with a house valued at $551,000.

“I think that is absolutely excellent,” Maple/Kleinburg Councillor Marilyn Iafrate and chairperson of the finance and administration committee said at Wednesday night’s budget meeting after councillors directed staff to cap the increase at 2.5 per cent.

“I got my house insurance bill and I can tell you it’s far more than the portion I’m paying to the City of Vaughan for all the services the city provides me.”

Factoring in the Region of York levy, the provincial education portion and the $60 hospital levy brings the average homeowner’s total tax bill to about $4,663, up $66 from $4,597 last year.

Exactly how Vaughan will spend your tax dollars still has to be worked out by senior city staff, with the final budget slated to be approved by council at a special meeting in early February.

One controversial item that might be on the chopping block is the $147,000 pilot project to clean up litter around so-called “super mailboxes”.

The proposal to place blue bins at 150 of the city’s super mailboxes that are afflicted with extreme litter from junk mail and other debris was the subject of a lengthy debate Wednesday night.

Mrs. Iafrate said residents will expect this service to be provided in all neighbourhoods, which would end up costing the city more than $1 million per year.

“I think this is ludicrous,” she said, “This is not the place for us to be spending our money. We can’t pay our other bills and we’re going to bring this in?”

Several other council members, including Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Regional Councillor Deb Schulte and West Woodbridge Councillor Tony Carella felt the same way.

But Thornhill Councillor Alan Shefman and East Woodbridge Councillor Rosanna DeFrancesca spoke passionately in favour of going ahead with the pilot project.

“I can tell you from experience how frustrated our residents get when mess around their home takes place,” Mr. Shefman said. “Sure people shouldn’t (litter), but they do. The fact is people always will. That’s part of human nature, we’re not going to change it, but we have a responsibility to deal with it. …And that’s what this program’s about.”

Council members ultimately voted to have staff report back on other possible solutions to the mailbox litter problem at next Monday’s budget meeting (Jan. 20).

That meeting is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. at city hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive.