Rob Ford Gets Personal As Tax Debate Rages At Toronto City Hall

What would a debate on new taxes be without a clash of the titans? In this corner: Mayor David Miller and his supporters, adamantly defending the need for two new taxes – a vehicle registration levy and a land transfer charge.

And in this corner, maverick councillor and noted spendthrift Rob Ford, contending that the city of Toronto can find other places to cut fat that wouldn’t involve digging into the pockets of car and home owners.

By now you know what this prize fight is about – the city is bleeding from cuts inflicted by a heavyweight battle over downloading at Queen’s Park and Miller is adamant that unless the new levies pass, there will be either an 18-20 per cent property tax hike or a major cut in city services.

The debate at City Hall has been loud and at times passionate, as both sides get to have their say ahead of the big vote expected either late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

Miller turned away allegations from a tenacious Councillor Frances Nunziata that the province should do an audit before the taxes are confirmed, because Queen’s Park has refused to stop downloading until the city cleans up its act. “It’s members of this council that has accused us of not being efficient,” the mayor defends. “It is not the provincial government … Personally, I don’t think we should be asking the province for that sort of thing. We’re capable of standing on our own two feet.”

But that’s not how an angry Ford sees it. He started his rebuttal against the taxes by painstakingly reviewing every other avenue where he feels cuts can be made. “How about grants?” he asked. “We hand out $50 million a year in grants. Grant is free money. So if we’re $400 million in the hole, then how can you hand out $50 million if you don’t have it? I don’t understand that. Yet, yet it’s a sacred cow. Don’t touch the grants.”

He also complained about $20,000 in cigarettes and $60,000 in alcohol being given to the homeless, which he calls “euthanasia.” And then it got personal “The mayor, our fearless leader here, he increased his own personal budget by over half a million dollars,” he sneered sarcastically to the chastisement of the chair.

And the list continued, including contracting out, snow clearing, perks for councillors and more. 

“It is absolutely wrong,” Ford thunders. “How dare you try to implement a new tax?! I asked the mayor what has he cut? Nothing. He has not cut one red cent in four years he’s been elected. And you’re turning around and saying we don’t have any money? We need revenue? I’ve got news for you, ladies and gentlemen. We have a spending problem at City Hall, not a revenue problem.”

Ford likely would have gone on but his time was up. He worries the taxpayers’ time may be, too. But Miller remains confident the taxes are essential and will be passed once all the talking is done.

Kris Reyes has been in the packed chamber all day and will have the very latest on CityNews at Six.