With two mayoral candidates out of the race and less than one week left until election day, One Toronto continues to educate citizens and promote involvement. The organization released a video entitled Myth Busters outlining the misconceptions about finances that have arisen throughout the election.
Mayoral debate and dialogue has focussed on the city’s supposedly unacceptable spending, taxation, and financial decisions. In refutation, One Toronto has listed the city’s positive aspects found from statistical sources. For instance, Price Waterhouse Coopers rated Toronto as the number one liveable city in the world. Furthermore, Toronto has the lowest taxes in the GTA and still ran the 2009 budget on a surplus.
“A factual review of the key trends in Toronto’s finances thoroughly refutes the claim that the city is somehow slipping into financial chaos,” says economist Jim Stanford. “Toronto has the lowest residential property taxes in the GTA—and on a per capita basis, property taxes have only kept up with inflation.”
One Toronto hopes to change the nature of the mayoral debate in the time left to reflect the true issues facing the city. The group promotes progressive values and attempts to facilitate critical thinking and sharing of public opinion.
“Older Torontonians have paid taxes all their lives and have spent years building a city we can be proud of,” says Susan Eng, vice-president of advocacy for CARP (Canadian Association of Retired Persons). “They expect their taxes to be well spent and want the city to stay true to the values of equity and inclusiveness as well as age-friendly. The rhetoric so far is unsettling.”
The One Toronto campaign seeks to rally citizens together to enhance services and initiatives in Canada’s largest urban centre. They want to ensure that the city continues to build on its successes. Among their demands, there is emphasis on education, immigration, affordable public transit, culture and arts, and environmental initiatives.
Both the Toronto and Mississauga election days will be held on Monday, October 25. Students interested in the One Toronto campaign can visit the website at onetoronto.ca.
