When the Toronto City Council unveils its budget Monday morning, many expect it will mark the first time since amalgamation that T.O. will be out of the red, largely thanks to roughly $200 million of the provincial government's cash.
But alongside promises of the 'balanced' books from Mayor David Miller's staff, come predictions that the same budget will have local taxpayers digging a little deeper into their wallets.
Homeowners could get hit the hardest, facing a rumoured four per cent hike in property taxes, a raise that has some City Hall critics fuming.
"David Miller seems to have an insatiable appetite for coming back and asking for more from the taxpayers," said
Denzil Minnan-Wong, councillor for Don Valley East. "The residents of the city of Toronto have faced unprecedented tax increases over the last 12 months.
Others insist that in the grand scheme of things, it's not so bad.
"The three or four per cent that you can expect coming down tomorrow is what's essential to maintain the key services of Toronto," said Budget Committee Member and councillor
Adam Giambrone. "No one wants to pay more, but they also want good quality services and when you compare it to Mississauga, the other 905 properties which are getting eight, nine, 10 per cent tax increases, that three or four works pretty well."
The new budget will also reportedly have drivers forking out an extra $60 a year in vehicle registration fees. Mayor Miller will unveil the proposed budget Monday morning.