Nothing Has Changed At City Hall

Personally I don't object to paying more for water and sewer services as long as (1) the money raised goes directly into upgrading water/sewer services and not into general revenue but (2) why is the budget committee meeting behind closed doors.

City staff float 12% hike in water rate

Backlog of $800 million worth of work needed to repair crumbling water mains

John Spears
Toronto Star

Don't like the proposed 9 per cent increase in City of Toronto water rates for 2007? Then how would you like a 12 per cent increase?

The proposal for an even steeper hike, amounting to an extra $1 a month for a typical household, was floated to the city's budget committee in a closed-door session at City Hall Wednesday, for which no public notice was given.

The city has given formal notice that it's contemplating a 9 per cent rate increase for 2007.

In fact, plans call for a 9 per cent increase each year until 2012.

But at the budget committee's behind-the-scenes meeting Wednesday, water officials pulled the wraps off an "alternative model" that would see a 12 per cent increase in 2007, followed by 9 per cent increases in subsequent years.

Voters don't care.........