Toronto City Council is currently considering a proposal to increase the rates for certain services; water, sewage, and garbage. Amortized over 10 years, the proposal to increase these rates would generate $6.5 million for the water department and represent nearly $300 per year in added expense (the equivilant of roughly two extra monthly water bills at current rates) from each household in the city of Toronto. The plan also includes a proposal to automatically increase the rate by 3% every year thereafter into the foreseeable future.

In our opinion, the need to generate that much extra for the department has not been adequately justified, especially considering the financial hardship it would represent to the city's aging population base, many of whom are on fixed incomes.

Additionally, we are concerned that the increase is unnecessarily inflated due to a loan agreement council shortsightedly entered into.

There have been two readings of the proposal thus far, with no other proposals in consideration. We are requesting that the city council table this proposal and consider alternative proposals.