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HomeCANADAToronto Mayoral Race: Mitzie Hunter Proposing 6% General Tax Increase

Toronto Mayoral Race: Mitzie Hunter Proposing 6% General Tax Increase

Moderate and lower-income homeowners pay 50 per cent less under new, progressive model for property taxes

Toronto – Mitzie Hunter, mayoral candidate, has issued her comprehensive, fully-funded platform to turn Toronto around with a balanced budget and a new and revolutionary progressive model for property tax increases ensuring moderate and lower-income homeowners pay a reduced level.

Hunter’s plan features Six priorities to Fix the Six for a Toronto that works for everyone: 

  1. Affordable Housing and Renter Protection
  2. Getting Toronto Moving
  3. Safety, Homelessness, and Mental Health
  4. Improved City Services
  5. A Green, Vibrant City, and
  6. Transparency in Governance and Budget

“Toronto is at a turning point that must not be a breaking point. People tell me they are worried that the city they love is on the brink of serious decline,” says Hunter.

“I want to lead Toronto’s revival. I have a plan to do exactly that.”

Hunter’s 71-page plan is fully-funded with a balanced budget and lays out how she will pay for every action to Fix the Six. A general six-per-cent property tax increase — $216 per year for an average home – will be reduced to three per cent — a $108-per-year increase — for households with income under $80,000. Hunter’s plan also provides additional protections for moderate and lower income seniors, which will allow more than half of all seniors to pay no property tax at all.

“It’s fairer, it’s progressive, and it means those that can afford it will pay a little more. Moderate and lower income homeowners will pay less,” Hunter says.

Other property taxes are tied to the general rate by Provincial law and City policy. Under Hunter’s plan the general commercial rate will be three per cent and small businesses will face no property tax increase at all. Large landlords will pay the full six-per-cent rate.

“This is a different, better approach,” says Hunter. “The results are a fully-funded six-point plan to support Toronto’s revival and a balanced budget that deals with the massive current budget hole. This is how we can have a Toronto that works for everyone.”

In building her plan, Hunter drew on her experiences as Associate Minister of Finance and 10 years in the Legislature, as well as CEO of CivicAction and CAO of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

Since the beginning of the mayoral campaign, Hunter has systematically laid out her priorities culminating in this fully-funded, responsible and affordable plan, and by releasing it now has fulfilled her commitment to put the costing before the people of Toronto well before voting begins in June.

Hunter’s priorities include building more affordable housing than any other candidate and doing so more quickly; providing below-market housing for renters and buyers; providing more affordable TTC with seniors and Wheel Trans users riding for free; reversing the TTC fare increase and service cuts, and; investing more in city services so the city works better: more pot holes filled, better snow clearance, better park maintenance so water fountains and washrooms actually work.

 “Judge me on this plan. When people vote for me as their mayor, they now know exactly what they are getting,” says Hunter. “I am laying out my complete, fully-funded plan, which spells out what I will be doing and how I will be paying for it. Let’s Fix the Six together. Join me.” 

Notes for remarks by Mitzie Hunter announcing her fully-costed platform, May 25 2023:

  • Since the beginning of this campaign I have systematically laid out my priorities.
  • More affordable housing, more quickly. 
  • Unlocking public lands for affordable housing;
  • Below-market housing for renters and buyers; 
  • More affordable TTC with seniors and Wheel Trans users ride free; 
  • Reversing the TTC fare increase and service cuts; 
  • Investing more in city services so the city works better.
  • More pot holes filled, better snow clearance…
  • Better park maintenance so water fountains and washrooms actually work.
  • As I laid out my plan, I committed to putting out a full costing before the people of Toronto before voting begins in June.
  • Today I am fulfilling that commitment. 
  • Today I am issuing my comprehensive, fully-funded platform… 
  • To turn Toronto around… with a balanced budget…
  • And a new and revolutionary progressive model for property tax increases… ensuring moderate and lower-income homeowners pay less… and most seniors are spared any property tax increase.
  • My plan features Six priorities to Fix the Six for a Toronto that works for everyone: 
  • One… Affordable Housing and Renter Protection 
  • Two… Getting Toronto Moving
  • Three… Safety, Homelessness, and Mental Health 
  • Four… Improved City Services 
  • Five… A Green, Vibrant City, and… 
  • Six… Transparency in Governance and Budget 
  • Toronto is at a turning point that must not be a breaking point. 
  • People tell me they are worried that the city they love is on the brink of serious decline.
  • I want to lead Toronto’s revival. I have a plan to do exactly that.
  • Today I am issuing my 71-page plan…
  • A plan that is fully-funded… with a balanced budget. 
  • It lays out in precise detail how I will pay for it. 
  • The City budget always covers the current year and the next two years. My plan does the same. 
  • And I have a strategy to fill the $4.3-billion hole that I will inherit as mayor.
  • A $1.54-billion hole for this year and last year. 
  • A $1.45 billion hole for next year, and…
  • A $1.82 billion hole in 2025. 
  • But stopping the bleeding is not enough.
  • Toronto needs to grow… and that is what my six priorities are all about.
  • Growing and building a better Toronto for all of us.
  • To do this I propose a six-per-cent general tax increase.
  • That’s $216 per year for an average home.
  • That will be reduced to three per cent, a $108-per-year increase, for households with income under $80,000.
  • And there will be additional protections for moderate and lower-income seniors.
  • It’s fairer… it’s progressive… and having a fair, progressive tax plan makes it… yes… revolutionary.
  • It means those that can afford it will pay… a little more.
  • Moderate and lower-income homeowners will pay… less.
  • This is a different, better approach.
  • It means a fully-funded six-point plan to support Toronto’s revival…
  • And a balanced budget that deals with the massive current budget hole.
  • This is my plan… this is how we can have a Toronto that works for everyone. 
  • In putting together my plan, I drew on my experience as Associate Minister of Finance and 10 years in the Legislature… as well as CEO of CivicAction and CAO of Toronto Community Housing.
  • People of Toronto… Judge me on this plan.
  • When you vote for me as your mayor you now know exactly what you are getting. 
  • People of Toronto… this is my complete, fully-funded plan.
  • It spells out what I will be doing… and how I will be paying for it. 
  • People of Toronto… The time is now.
  • Let’s Fix the Six… together.
  • Join me.
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