London council shaves about $24 off property tax increase
Londoners will dig deeper this year to cover their property taxes and water/wastewater bills.
On Thursday, marathon budget deliberations concluded with a proposed tax rate increase of 3.1 per cent, equal to about $98 more this year on the average home assessed at $241,000.
That’s down from the 2023 Budget Update’s starting point of 3.9 per cent ($122).
Barely two months into their term, London’s eight rookie councillors made their presence felt during their first experience with municipal budgeting.
Debates were frequently dominated by questions, comments, and motions from several of London’s first-time councillors seeking to shape municipal spending and programs this year.
“Sidewalk maintenance is a question of equity,” argued Coun. Sam Trosow during the most contentious debate of the day-long meeting. “Sidewalk maintenance is a question of accessibility — not to mention mobility.”
Politicians sparred over a proposed reduction to sidewalk snowplowing that would reverse last term’s decision to deploy plows at 5 cm of snow.
If approved, the amendment would revert sidewalk plow deployment to the provincial minimum of 8 cm of snow.
“I’m not going to be afraid to recognize when something I championed hasn’t worked out the way I hoped it would,” admitted Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis.
Lewis added that complaints continued after the service improvement, in part, because the city can never achieve bare sidewalks needed to satisfy everyone.
However, several rookie councillors flexed their political muscle.
“With all the discussions we’ve been having about accessibility in our community, I will not be supporting a reduction,” asserted Coun. Skylar Franke.
Led by rookies Franke, Trosow, Rahman, Ferreira, Pribil, and McAlister the criteria for sidewalk snowplowing will remain unchanged— by a 9 to 5 vote.
“We owe it to all Londoners, but in particular our seniors and those with mobility issues,” said Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen.
Council grumbled, but a funding agreement required the city to pay another $1.76 million to support the rising call volume and offload delays experienced by Middlesex-London Paramedic Service ambulances.
A $200,000 reduction was made to aesthetic flowerbed planting.
However, council balked at slashing $250,000 from a playground program for children.
A $3 million grant was approved to support construction of the London Middlesex Humane Society’s new facility this spring.
Withdrawn from a reserve fund, the grant will not impact the tax rate.
“It can be drawn down on a pace that makes sense to the construction timelines that the humane society has,” explained Mayor Josh Morgan.
To curb the tax rate increase, council reduced this year’s contribution towards closing the infrastructure gap by $475,000.
Settling on a 3.1 per cent tax rate increase, the average London household will pay a combined $128 more (property tax $98, annual water bill $13, annual sewer bill $17) to city hall this year.
“It’s well below inflation and below what other municipalities are passing. I know a few have passed budgets today in the mid-four percent (range),” Morgan tells CTV News. “I know Londoners will always say we oboes you could do better, but we also have inflationary pressures and get the services up and running that Londoners expect.”
The 2023 Budget Update will be finalized by council on Feb. 14.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.