Sales tax uniformly applies to everyone by the same absolute amount but relatively affects poorer people more. The city should just raise property taxes instead. May help reduce the housing cost as well which would make the city more affordable.

I get the point is to try and get the city out of the hole Tory put us in. This is so we can afford better health services. But won't this tax cause more poverty and increase the demanded for those same services?

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Toronto is proposing a municipal sales tax as part of a slew of new measures aimed at easing a projected $46.5 billion in budget pressures over the next decade, an "unprecedented financial crisis" that if left unaddressed threatens the fiscal foundations of the city.

Speaking at a news conference later Thursday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow noted that even if the city adopts all of the various possible revenue tools outlined by staff in the report, they still would not generate enough money to make up for projected budget shortfalls in the long-term.

Both federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have repeatedly declined previous requests from the city for additional funding to address its budget hole.

Staff also repeatedly stressed more funding from other levels of government is needed to prevent "significant tax increases," major service reductions or the outright cancellations of capital projects that "align with shared goals."

Staff are also urging council to notify the province that "in the absence of a revised funding model," the city will not be able to move forward with 978 new long-term care beds set to be introduced in coming years.

Tory requested in February that staff look into new tools to generate more revenue, as the city faces projected $1.5 billion budget shortfalls for this year and next in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a grim long-term outlook.

The original article contains 1,162 words, the summary contains 228 words. Saved 80%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

Sales taxes are political death. GLWT!

Wealthier residents can afford to just buy their shit outside of the city. This is a stupid idea

"a one per cent sales tax applied to existing HST/GST" is fine by me. The current HST doesn't apply to important stuff like basic groceries. And there is a tax rebate on the HST for those of lower incomes (I get this rebate throughout the year). Also, I certainly am not a spendthrift. Reckless consumerism is not my thing. So, let's get the city in order by taxing those with wealth who engage in reckless consumerism a bit more.