Torontonians underpaying property tax
Re Why I love paying taxes, August 6 As a resident of the 905 area, I am surprised that residential property owners in Toronto are insulated from the true costs of running the city.
The disparity between what 905 residents pay for property taxes versus those in Toronto is highlighted in the “What they got” column in the business section of the Saturday Star.
The home in Whitby sold for $630,000 with property taxes of $4,586 — or $727.93 per one hundred thousand dollars. The home in Scarborough sold for $800,000 with property taxes of $2,962 — or just $370.25 per 100 hundred thousand dollars.
Toronto residents also enjoy other benefits, such as lower or free recreation services, lower water rates and better public transit (based on greater population). Yet Mayor John Tory is promising to keep property taxes at or below the rate of inflation.
It is time for Toronto politicians to step up, as their 905 colleagues have done, and make property taxes reflect the costs of running the city. Doug Penrice, Georgetown
Heather Mallick has it right when she says she likes to pay taxes. I recently made a large pur- chase and someone asked me if I would like to avoid paying the tax. I asked him which little old lady he would like to keep out of a seniors’ facility or which child he would like to deny a daycare space.
Many people don’t think about what it takes to make Canada as great as it is. Gail Rutherford, Toronto
Heather Mallick says that she doesn’t mind paying more property tax. Nobody is stopping her from paying more.
Every taxpayer in the City of Toronto receives, together with their property tax bill, a form enabling them to make a voluntary contribution to city programs and services. Those who wish to give the city more money may contribute up to $50,000 and may direct their contribution to any of the twelve options listed on the form.
Unlike realty taxes, voluntary contributions over $20 qualify for an income tax deduction, and yet, the annual voluntary contributions to the city total approximately $20,000 — hardly a popular cause.
Perhaps the antipathy to taxes stems from a lack of confidence in municipal government. Stella Kargiannakis, Toronto