Welcome to 2020! As we look ahead to a new decade and the launch of the City of Toronto’s 2020 budget, we decided to take stock of Toronto at the end of the ‘10s, so that we may learn from the past and chart a new path forward.
Our Toronto After a Decade of Austerity: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly report looks at how our city has progressed, declined, or stagnated over the past decade in three key areas:
- housing,
- child care, and
- public transit, cycling, and walking.
We assess the current state of the city after a decade of austerity budgets using 20 quantitative indicators and offer resolutions to build a better city. Three immediate options are to:
- introduce a Vacant Home Tax,
- re-introduce the Vehicle Registration Tax, and
- increase the Municipal Land Transfer Tax for luxury homes.
In addition, Toronto City Council should consider adopting other revenue tools available under the City of Toronto Act.
There are other tax options, such as a portion of the provincial sales tax, that the City of Toronto does not currently have the authority to enact. We should continue to strongly advocate for the resources the city needs.
On January 10, Toronto City Council will launch its 2020 budget process. This will be its first opportunity of the decade to move away from austerity toward building a better city.
