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What a 6.9 per cent tax hike gets you

Toronto city hall
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Toronto’s latest proposed budget is asking residents to pay a little bit more on the heels of a historic 9.5 per cent tax hike just a year ago.

City staff say the latest proposed increase of 6.9 per cent, including the city building fund, works out to around $268.37 for an average household in the city.

Here are a few things that increase will buy if the budget is approved.

 

Transit and congestion

The latest budget freezes TTC fares for a second year in a row and increases transit service hours by 5.8 per cent, restoring them to pre-pandemic levels. The city says that’ll mean more frequent service on some of the busiest bus and streetcar lines, as well as more subway service during off-peak hours.

The city is also planning to deploy about 75 more traffic wardens to ease congestion at busy intersections.

The latest budget also accounts for a 13 per cent pay hike over three years negotiated with TTC workers in a new deal last year.

 

Emergency services

The latest city budget adds 276 more emergency service positions, such as police officers, firefighters and paramedics. It also boosts spending on violence prevention and road safety programs.

 

Affordability

The city says increased spending on school nutrition programs will feed 8,000 more students. Nutrition programs will also feed more kids through CampTO programs.

Meanwhile there’s more money to support another 300 households through the Rent Bank program, which supports Toronto residents who are behind on their rent or need help with a rental deposit.

 

Housing

The latest capital budget includes $118 million for affordable housing sites, as well as $231 million for incentives to develop new purpose-built rental homes. There’s also $300 million to fix Toronto Community Housing properties and $223 million for the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy.

 

Recreation

The 2025 operating budget promises to extend library hours at 67 Toronto Public Library branches. The city is also extending outdoor pool hours by two hours daily and boosting cleaning at recreation facilities.

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