"I will bring in the City Works Funds - a modest, dedicated property tax that will raise $390 million over five years. It will improve the services we all rely on, from snow clearing to garbage bins, and it will only cost the average homeowner $5.55 per month–half the cost of a Netflix subscription"
Josh Matlow
Question from TRREB
Q1: In your opinion, what are the two greatest challenges facing the City of Toronto today?
candidate response
My main priorities are to address the three main concerns of Torontonians, which are safety, affordability and services in this city. Toronto is in an unprecedented and dire fiscal situation and, since the day I launched my bid for Mayor of Toronto, my campaign has been proud to be the only one to put forward a realistic plan with complete details of how I intend to pay for and deliver my vision. It is time for us to invest in the place we call home.
Q2: If elected, will you support and accelerate the commitments made in the 2023 Housing Action Plan, including ending municipal exclusionary zoning by-laws and policies in Toronto that will allow and encourage more medium-density housing and purpose-built rental units?
Yes
Q3: If elected, would you support reducing approval times and other red tape barriers that limit the building of new housing in Toronto, thereby speeding up development?
Yes
Q4: If elected, would you push for more investment in critical infrastructure, such as transportation, to facilitate growth and housing by finding creative ways to secure funding from the provincial and federal governments?
Yes
Q5: If elected, would you commit to capping municipal costs added to new housing in order to limit further affordability erosion, and instead work together with the higher levels of government in finding new and sustainable funding mechanisms?
Yes
Q6: The City’s biggest and main source of revenue is property taxes. What would you support by way of annual property tax increases to maintain and/or improve the current services and programs the City provides?
Between 1 and 2%
Q7: If elected, would you be willing to explore reform or adjustments to the Municipal Land Transfer Tax in Toronto? This might include increasing the first-time buyer rebate and indexing the MLTT rebate and tax thresholds to account for housing price inflation.
Yes
Q8: If you become the next mayor of Toronto, what is your top priority that you want to accomplish in the first 100 days in office?
My first priority will be to address the decline we have seen in our city. As realtors, you understand that you have to invest in and maintain what you own. Our city is in decline because our property taxes have been kept artificially low.
Our roads are crumbling.
Our transit system is less reliable.
It’s practically an Olympic sport to get your child registered for a recreation program.
To fix this, I will bring in the City Works Funds – a modest, dedicated property tax that will raise $390 million over five years. It will improve the services we all rely on, from snow clearing to garbage bins, and it will only cost the average homeowner $5.55 per month–half the cost of a Netflix subscription. I think you will agree that our families are worth that.
If elected, will you use the “strong mayor powers” to modify the budget to pay for your key priorities?
Yes
