- Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow.jpeg (87.01 KiB) Viewed 36 times
TORONTO, CANADA - Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow has threatened to raise property taxes for residents due to the city's $78M million ($107 Candian) shortfall from the surge in migrants.
During a Monday news conference, the liberal Canadian politician revealed the city's reserved funds are exhausted.
'We have been providing shelter to people who arrive to Toronto fleeing violence, war and persecution, but now the federal government won't pay their bills for the service,' Chow, 68, said.
'And the city is short by $107 million. We can either stop sheltering refugee claimants, leave them on the street, which will make homelessness worse, reversing the progress we made on reducing the number of encampments, or Torontonians will have to pay for it through their property taxes,' she continued.
'Neither is fair. So the government, the federal government, must fulfill its responsibility, which is taking care of refugees and refugees claimants.'
When questioned about how much Toronto would need to raise property taxes, Chow said it would have to be by 'at least two percent' in order to cover the costs.
She said the city plans to explore this change during its upcoming budget meeting.
Despite her new move, Chow has not offered to lessen her salary or to halt her costly trade missions.
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