Transit talks continue at Toronto city hall

TORONTO – After almost a dozen hours of debate, city councillors are still bickering about which revenue tools – taxes – should be used by the province to fund transit.

The motion, which was ripped from the executive committee’s May 28 meeting by council on Monday, has been the subject of debate since Wednesday morning.

However, much of the discussion has revolved around what the province should use the money for: subways in Scarborough, environmental assessments for the downtown-relief-line, an extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway line to Scarborough transit, and dozens of other amendments.

But after hours of debate, nothing has been finalized.

Many of the amendments however point to the taxes, tolls and levies city council may eventually recommend to Metrolinx and the province.

An amendment put forward by Councillor Josh Matlow asks that council indicate its support for development charges, fuel taxes, parking levies and a sales tax in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA).

Matlow’s amendments also suggests Metrolinx not use several other revenue tools including congestion levies, employer payroll taxes, land transfer taxes, land value captures, personal income tax, property tax, transit fare increases and a utility bill levy.

Another amendment put forward by Councillor Peter Milczyn echoes Matlow’s list of revenue tools to not support and adds a vehicle registration tax as well as highway tolls.

However, the Ontario government – which has final say on any tax levied upon Ontarians – has already stated in the 2013 Ontario budget that it plans on introducing high-occupancy-toll lanes throughout the GTHA.