THE CHALLENGE
Rising fees and property taxes. Water, sewer, and waste collection bills increased significantly in 2025. Garbage collection was previously funded from property taxes but now there's the new waste management fee resulting in a $50 per quarter increase on the water-sewage-waste bill, a 250% increase for garbage collection and related fees. Property taxes increased 5.95% that did not include the additional new fee for garbage collection, equivalent to an additional 3% property tax increase.
The Financial Stabilization Reserve requires $60 million, depleting because of inadequate past snow removal budgets. The city received $122 million from the federal government with the housing accelerator fund. But there's still an annual deficit. The city has received numerous other grants.
Property taxes are up 28% and the frontage levy is up 85% over the past twelve years.
The city is on target to run another $15 million deficit this year. Council has to move away from blaming Sam Katz and Covid-19 on perceived financial challenges. The city has a spending and performance problem. Too often the city raids various reserves to cover departmental budget over spending. This is nothing short of a shell game.
Property taxes are up 28% and the frontage levy is up 85% over the past twelve years.
The city is on target to run another $15 million deficit this year. Council has to move away from blaming Sam Katz and Covid-19 on perceived financial challenges. The city has a spending and performance problem. Too often the city raids various reserves to cover departmental budget over spending. This is nothing short of a shell game.
WHY IT MATTERS
Far too much of the budget goes towards debt servicing and not towards projects and infrastructure. Non-essential spending takes away from practical and essential funding. This practice leads to essential services, infrastructure and facility erosian. Residents are frustrated and citing less value for their taxes and fees.
KELLY'S PLAN
Priorities must change. There must be significant changes to how departmental budgets are created. There needs to be more funds allocated to the replenishment of the Financial Stabilization Reserve and other reserves.
More funding needs to be allocated to the essentials. Funding for non-essential categories must be lowered. Only after the financial, infrastructure, and transit woes are addressed can the other desired but non-essential spending be returned.
The essentials are the Main Issues plus Emergency Services and the North End Sewage Treatment Plant.
Click on the pictures below to see a few of Ryback's delegation presentations before council committees:
More funding needs to be allocated to the essentials. Funding for non-essential categories must be lowered. Only after the financial, infrastructure, and transit woes are addressed can the other desired but non-essential spending be returned.
The essentials are the Main Issues plus Emergency Services and the North End Sewage Treatment Plant.
Click on the pictures below to see a few of Ryback's delegation presentations before council committees:
