Council approves 2015 budget, garbage bin rate increase
Posted March 11, 2015 1:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto city council approved the 2015 capital and operating budgets by a vote of 42-2 on Wednesday.
Councillors Rob Ford and Giorgio Mammoliti were the two votes against.
Earlier in the meeting, councillors approved a 58-per-cent increase on garbage bin rates, regardless of size, as of this year.
It will cost the average homeowner with the large bin $91 a year, and the extra-large bin will cost $126.39.
Council also approved a three-per-cent rate increase on all solid waste rates and fees.
However, councillors voted to have staff examine if garbage bin rates can be frozen in 2016.
Councillors were poring over the details of the 2015 budget on day two of a city council meeting.
Coun. Rob Ford tried to move a motion to keep garbage rates in place, but lost the council vote.
“Costs are going up, and it’s unfortunate,” Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong told 680News.
Coun. James Pasternak, who sits on the budget committee, said he is uncomfortable with such a large increase.
On Tuesday, council passed a property-tax hike of 3.2 per cent.
With files from Cynthia Mulligan and Momin Qureshi
