[TheTigerMaster]

Here are some tweets from a National Post reporter:



Ok sounds good. Go on....



So sales tax, gas tax and parking levy are still a go?

As well as road tolls? Or is that classified under congestion levy?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

For those who are curios, Don Peat is live tweeting the Council session: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/05/09/transit-taxes-back-on-the-table-at-toronto-city-council

 

[Southcore]

5:45 PMDon Peat @reporterdonpeatCouncillors have not rejected development charges or a sales tax as a way to fund transit - but they haven't endorsed them either #TOpoli

So I guess this is kinda good?

 

[Solid Snake]

Live from City Hall:

Council votes 41 to 2 to ask province not to implement any new transit taxes until the province agrees to fund 50% of transit operating costs

 

[TOareaFan]

Live from City Hall:

Do they mean 50% of transit operating costs or 50% of the portion of transit operating costs that the farebox does not cover?

 

[Solid Snake]

Do they mean 50% of transit operating costs or 50% of the portion of transit operating costs that the farebox does not cover?

I think it's 50% of the overall operating cost regardless of the current % that's covered by the farebox

 

[Solid Snake]

From Council Today

-Council votes 16 to 28 against supporting a 1% province-wide sales tax

-Council votes 39 to 5 to ask that the Yonge North subway extension not proceed until increased capacity is added to the Yonge line

-Councillor Doug Ford puts his thumb up in favour of an income tax cut for GTHA residents if the transit taxes are imposed. Final vote is 25 to 19

-Council votes 24 to 19 to ask the province to make the North York Relief Line a priority for phase 2 of Metrolinx funding

-Council votes 41 to 2 to ask province not to implement any new transit taxes until the province agrees to fund 50% of transit operating costs

-Council votes 31 to 11 to ask province not to implement any new transit taxes until the mayor or his designate is on the Board of Metrolinx

-Council votes 34 to 9 to reject high occupancy toll lanes as a transit revenue tool

-Council votes 33 to 11 to reject highway tolls as a transit revenue tool-

-"Shut up" Mayor Rob Ford to councillors complaining about his chief of staff being at his desk on the council floor

-Council votes 33 to 11 in favour of adding high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to the list of taxes they reject

-Council votes 18 to 26 against rejecting a sales tax

-Council votes 14 to 33 against deleting road tolls from the list of taxes they reject

-Council votes 12 to 32 against deleting the car tax from the list of taxes they reject

-Council votes 16 to 28 against urging the provincial government to roll back corporate income tax cuts to 2008 levels

-Council votes 35 to 9 in favour of extending the Bloor-Danforth subway line rather than building the Scarborough LRT to replace RT

-Cllr Giorgio Mammoliti's Finch subway motion goes off to planning committee. Vote is 42 to 2

-Cllr Peter Milczyn's motion on transit lines goes to planning committee. Vote is 24 to 20

-Motion to look at extending the Sheppard LRT to the Toronto Zoo goes off to planning committee. Vote is 34 to 10

-Council votes 39 to 5 for possible tax credits for low incomes residents impacted by transit taxes

-Council votes 29 to 15 to support "new dedicated revenues to finance" future operating costs for the Big Move

-Council votes 43 to 1 to endorse Metrolinx bears the capital maintenance costs for major regional transit infrastructure

-Council votes 41 to 3 to ask Metrolinx to work with Infrastructure Ontario and PPP Canada to find ways to minimize capital costs

-Council votes 43 to 1 to say it does not support a "regional property tax" to fund transit expansion

-Council votes to tell the province it rejects a parking levy as a way to fund transit. Vote is 31 to 13

-Council votes 25 to 19 to tell the province it doesn't support a fuel tax to fund transit

-Council votes 43 to 1 in favour of telling the province it doesn't support a utility bill levy to fund transit

-Council votes to tell the province it does not support a transit fare hike to fund transit. Vote is 43 to 1 (Perks was lone no vote)

-Council votes to tell the province it does not support a property tax to fund transit. Vote is 41 to 2

-Council votes to tell the province it does not support a personal income tax to fund transit. Vote is 32 to 11

-Council votes to tell the province it does not support a land value capture tax. Vote is 33 to 10

-Council votes 42 to 1 in favour of telling province it does not support a land transfer tax to fund transit

-Council votes 31 to 12 in favour of telling the province it does not support an employer payroll tax to fund transit

-Council votes 37 to 7 in favour of telling the province it doesn't support a congestion levy

-Council votes 21 to 23 against transit planning based on reason like a cost/benefit analysis, etc.

-

 

[TOareaFan]

I think it's 50% of the overall operating cost regardless of the current % that's covered by the farebox

So a municipality that, say, recovered 55% at the farebox would actually be operating transit at a profit?

 

[Solid Snake]

So a municipality that, say, recovered 55% at the farebox would actually be operating transit at a profit?

Wouldn't be hard for the TTC to justify keeping the fares at their current value? People would expect some kind of reduction.

 

[TOareaFan]

Wouldn't be hard for the TTC to justify keeping the fares at their current value? People would expect some kind of reduction.

So the response to higher fares as a funding tool is "give us money so we can lower fares"?

 

[Solid Snake]

So the response to higher fares as a funding tool is "give us money so we can lower fares"?

I was only speculating what citizens would expect. Personally, I would keep the fares as it is now and have more money for capital projects for Streetcars (St.Clair extension to Jane) or revitalization of some of our subway stations (Osgood and St.Andrews are a disgrace, and they are downtown stations)

 

[Adjei]

So what happens now that Toronto council rejected most of the tools and did not outright support any. Will the province just impose the ones Metrolinx recommends?

 

[innsertnamehere]

thats what they would do anyways. In the end it matters not what the municipalities ask for, but what can pass with support from the NDP.

 

[nfitz]

thats what they would do anyways. In the end it matters not what the municipalities ask for, but what can pass with support from the NDP.

So what did the NDP members on council support?

 

[Solid Snake]

So what happens now that Toronto council rejected most of the tools and did not outright support any. Will the province just impose the ones Metrolinx recommends?

That was the plan all along. They were using the "consultation" process as a front.

Better go to an election saying : "We're only doing what the municipalities asked us to do to pay for transit" VS "We're raising taxes for transit"

Cllr Nunziata saw it from a mile away while she gave her speech. She gave this perfect example.

When Council chose LRT over Subways, citizens were complaining to their MPPs, even in her ward. Those same MPP's answer was "We're only doing what council wants us to do".

The transit City money was provincial and the lines are owned by the province. They had the same numbers all along but didn't want people angry at them. So they dumped it on council and they fell for it. All the fighting that happened at council would have happened within the Liberal caucus if they were the one having to make a decision.

Yesterday's debate was a waste of time that truly accomplished nothing beside leaving the door open to reopen the master agreement with the province.