Residents To Pay More For Recreation, False Alarms
Posted January 13, 2011 8:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The mayor has a plan to bring in $23 million in revenue: charge residents more for recreation programs, false fire alarms and a host of other city-run services.
Swimming, dance and martial arts are a few of the hundreds of classes that will cost three per cent more, according to a budget proposal released on Thursday.
Couples planning to say “I do” will have to set aside eight per cent more to pay for their marriage licences, and renting a civic centre for the occasion will jump from $75 to $100. Even posing for photos in city parks will be as much as 26.5 per cent more.
For every fire truck that responds to a false alarm – usually three – the culprit will pay $410, up $60 from the current penalty.
New fees include a $68 charge for adult programs in low-income neighbourhoods. Residents living below the poverty line could apply for an exemption.
Debbie Read takes free Aquafit classes at a so-called “priority centre,” the Jimmie Simpson Community Centre, as part of her therapy for a back injury. She won’t be able to continue if the budget passes.
“When you’re walking the fine line of ‘Can I pay my rent?’ or ‘Do I do my therapy?’ it really matters a lot,” she said.
But the city’s budget chief claims the changes are necessary.
“The fact is compared to other GTA municipalities, we don’t cover the costs of the programs we provide,” Coun. Mike Del Grande said on Thursday.
The new fees would take effect after council votes on the budget at the end of February.
For a complete list of the proposed fee increases, click here.
