Toronto Mayor Rob Ford should consider a property tax hike to find the funding for his proposed Sheppard Avenue subway extension in the days before a key vote on the matter, says a councillor close to the mayor.

In two days, councillors will be asked to vote on the transit plan for Sheppard Avenue.

The vote comes after a panel of experts released its report on options for Sheppard Avenue transit Friday, which was overwhelmingly in favour of a light-rail transit extension from Don Mills to Morningside Avenue.

The LRT model would fit within council's $1-billion budget, while a subway would not, the panel said.

Coun. Gord Chong, who sat on the expert panel as a representative of the mayor and was the only member who favoured the underground subway option, said it's time for the mayor to consider new measures to pay for his underground plan.

Implementing a one-per-cent property tax hike would pay for the Sheppard extension in just seven years, he said.

It's a plan the mayor may be "turning his mind to," Chong said.

"I think the mayor should be considering the opportunities that may be available to win the vote," said Chong.

Meanwhile, Ford allies are trying to win over the so-called "middle" councillors who hold the balance of power.

"He's gotta just keep plowing at the middle councillors to see if we can get some on our side," said Coun. Doug Holyday, a Ford ally.

For their part, the middle councillors want to know how Ford will fund his subway plan.

Ford said at a press conference last week that the $1 billion currently allocated by the province is enough to build two or three subway stations, at an estimated cost of $400,000 each.

It would not get the track all the way out to Scarborough, as is desired.

Coun. Mike Colle said he needs to see where Ford plans to get the extra money, if he is to support his plan.

"A pie graph would be nice, just something that would show where the source of funding would come from," said Colle.

A spokesperson at the mayor's office would only say that Ford is considering his options at this point.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson