Toronto mayoral by-election - 2023 - Who I should vote for

[Cathy Ye]

Who I should vote for? I assume that Mayor is the leader of City Toronto Politician group. I am comparing several candidates and wonder whom I should vote for, Ana or Mark?

Olivia Chow:
1. leading candidate, famous because her husband Jack Layton. I know her since NDP huge win in 2011 when Jack was the party leader.
2. A longtime city councillor turned NDP MP, profession politician whole her life, which means she is very familiar with the systems but does not have good relationship with Premier Ford. But no leader experience, and no real success project to backup her ability even she claims she cares and this and that.....
3. I do not feel comfortable while Olivia try to explain her one solution of affordable housing. She gave example that her dad got mental issue, if not stopping eviction order, he maybe on streets homeless. Why she did not support her own dad, or help him to get government support but criticizing landlord to get eviction order to her dad. Her moral standard is different.
4. claim to make affordable living for Torontonians by raising tax. But no detail how much she will raise and how she plans to use the $$. I feel she is more in senior retirement mindset that I only care of the current moment, not need long term solutions that I may not be alive anymore. By giving away free housing or money to make housing and living looks affordable in short term(her term), is a way to get more votes in short time as in Toronto, renters may much more than property owners. But she may change once she gets into the position.

Ana Bailão:
1. professional politician. Familiar with the system but has no leader experience. I only got to notice her name recently.
2. Claim to make Toronto most exciting city with vibrant culture life and especially support of SMB to boost economy by allocating more fund to education and training, and generating more jobs with good pay and rewarding the hardworking people. So people have more chances to demonstrate their value to themselves, their families and society. And at the same time, with good income, they have choices to own the property no matter condo or house, where they call home. I think this is the true and sustainable solution of affordable housing. This is more younger mindset thinking.
3. She may get a chance to win with right strategy.

Mark Saunders:
1. claim to improve safety, and safety is always the 1st concern of everyone. Proven leader experience in his professional area.
2. not an experienced politician but Premier Ford would like to work with.
3. He may get a chance to win with right strategy.

Anthony Furey:
1. an executive at the True North media network and former Toronto Sun columnist, which meaning he observes a lot and thinks a lot. But no political experience.
2. promised to abolish the city's RentSafe TO program, clear tent encampments, abandon plans for two new safe drug consumption sites and hire 500 more police officers. Drug consumption is hurting people's health both body and mind. Those so called safe drug consumption sites remind me the history that opium consumption sites all over the places in China back to late 1800s and early 1900s..... I agree no to increase drug consumption sites, instead to have more rehab centers to help people get rid of the drug use.
3. I do not think he has a chance to win this time though. Maybe next election.

[Dilip Panjwani]

Who I should vote for? I assume that Mayor is the leader of City Toronto Politician group. I am comparing several candidates and wonder whom I should vote for, Ana or Mark?

Olivia Chow:
1. leading candidate, famous because her husband Jack Layton. I know her since NDP huge win in 2011 when Jack was the party leader.
2. A longtime city councillor turned NDP MP, profession politician whole her life, which means she is very familiar with the systems but does not have good relationship with Premier Ford. But no leader experience, and no real success project to backup her ability even she claims she cares and this and that.....
3. I do not feel comfortable while Olivia try to explain her one solution of affordable housing. She gave example that her dad got mental issue, if not stopping eviction order, he maybe on streets homeless. Why she did not support her own dad, or help him to get government support but criticizing landlord to get eviction order to her dad. Her moral standard is different.
4. claim to make affordable living for Torontonians by raising tax. But no detail how much she will raise and how she plans to use the $$. I feel she is more in senior retirement mindset that I only care of the current moment, not need long term solutions that I may not be alive anymore. By giving away free housing or money to make housing and living looks affordable in short term(her term), is a way to get more votes in short time as in Toronto, renters may much more than property owners. But she may change once she gets into the position.

Ana Bailão:
1. professional politician. Familiar with the system but has no leader experience. I only got to notice her name recently.
2. Claim to make Toronto most exciting city with vibrant culture life and especially support of SMB to boost economy by allocating more fund to education and training, and generating more jobs with good pay and rewarding the hardworking people. So people have more chances to demonstrate their value to themselves, their families and society. And at the same time, with good income, they have choices to own the property no matter condo or house, where they call home. I think this is the true and sustainable solution of affordable housing. This is more younger mindset thinking.
3. She may get a chance to win with right strategy.

Mark Saunders:
1. claim to improve safety, and safety is always the 1st concern of everyone. Proven leader experience in his professional area.
2. not an experienced politician but Premier Ford would like to work with.
3. He may get a chance to win with right strategy.

Anthony Furey:
1. an executive at the True North media network and former Toronto Sun columnist, which meaning he observes a lot and thinks a lot. But no political experience.
2. promised to abolish the city's RentSafe TO program, clear tent encampments, abandon plans for two new safe drug consumption sites and hire 500 more police officers. Drug consumption is hurting people's health both body and mind. Those so called safe drug consumption sites remind me the history that opium consumption sites all over the places in China back to late 1800s and early 1900s..... I agree no to increase drug consumption sites, instead to have more rehab centers to help people get rid of the drug use.
3. I do not think he has a chance to win this time though. Maybe next election.

Definitely not Olivia...

[Frank Dixon]

I think property tax levels are the most important issue for this election. Conservative mayors since 2010 in Toronto kept increases low. Toronto's property tax rate is significantly lower than both Mississauga (large city, immediate neighbor to the west) and Kingston (medium-size city, 260 km. east), for example. Those two cities have been more fiscally responsible than Toronto.

Toronto is the wealthiest city in Canada, and one of the wealthiest in the world. It generates a very high proportion of Canada's GDP, for its population. Yet, everyday services in Toronto (transit, garbage collection) are declining. This is apparent even to occasional Toronto visitors, such as myself.

That said, the City of Toronto does need more assistance from both federal and provincial governments, since it lacks revenue-raising tools of its own.

My advice is to vote for a candidate who seems credible on the local taxation issue. Right-of-center candidates this time don't impress me.

My big idea for Toronto in 2023 would be a property SURTAX on residential valued over $2 million, increasing further (cusp points for each million) as the value goes up, and a small reduction on residential valued under $750k.

Respectfully,
Frank Dixon
Kingston

[Cathy Ye]

Agree on extra luxury tax on 2M+ residential properties. Some other candidates predict that if Olivia Chow wins, property tax will go up at least 25% to support her "affordable" living plan, if she does have a clear feasible one. But most of the problems we are facing is not just about $$. Money can only solve some issue in certain level within certain period.

[Sid Belzberg]

Olivia Chow is a CCP-controlled globalist swine!

https://www.toronto99.com/2023/05/14...asset-reports/

[Fred Henderson]

I think property tax levels are the most important issue for this election. Conservative mayors since 2010 in Toronto kept increases low. Toronto's property tax rate is significantly lower than both Mississauga (large city, immediate neighbor to the west) and Kingston (medium-size city, 260 km. east), for example. Those two cities have been more fiscally responsible than Toronto.

Toronto is the wealthiest city in Canada, and one of the wealthiest in the world. It generates a very high proportion of Canada's GDP, for its population. Yet, everyday services in Toronto (transit, garbage collection) are declining. This is apparent even to occasional Toronto visitors, such as myself.

That said, the City of Toronto does need more assistance from both federal and provincial governments, since it lacks revenue-raising tools of its own.

My advice is to vote for a candidate who seems credible on the local taxation issue. Right-of-center candidates this time don't impress me.

My big idea for Toronto in 2023 would be a property SURTAX on residential valued over $2 million, increasing further (cusp points for each million) as the value goes up, and a small reduction on residential valued under $750k.

Respectfully,
Frank Dixon
Kingston

Toronto has the worst homelessness problem in the country by far. City of Toronto administration both contributes to the problem with stupid bylaws, that limit what the private sector can do, and then continues to pour more and more money into that financial boondoggle that is T.C.H.C., a very cost ineffective way of housing people. Yet waiting list are years long for as long as I can remember, A "luxury tax" might make low end home-owners happy, but I doubt the people in million dollar homes, of which there are many, will vote for the plan. Chow will make things worse.

[Pargat Perrer]

Who I should vote for? I assume that Mayor is the leader of City Toronto Politician group. I am comparing several candidates and wonder whom I should vote for, Ana or Mark?

Olivia Chow:
1. leading candidate, famous because her husband Jack Layton. I know her since NDP huge win in 2011 when Jack was the party leader.
2. A longtime city councillor turned NDP MP, profession politician whole her life, which means she is very familiar with the systems but does not have good relationship with Premier Ford. But no leader experience, and no real success project to backup her ability even she claims she cares and this and that.....
3. I do not feel comfortable while Olivia try to explain her one solution of affordable housing. She gave example that her dad got mental issue, if not stopping eviction order, he maybe on streets homeless. Why she did not support her own dad, or help him to get government support but criticizing landlord to get eviction order to her dad. Her moral standard is different.
4. claim to make affordable living for Torontonians by raising tax. But no detail how much she will raise and how she plans to use the $$. I feel she is more in senior retirement mindset that I only care of the current moment, not need long term solutions that I may not be alive anymore. By giving away free housing or money to make housing and living looks affordable in short term(her term), is a way to get more votes in short time as in Toronto, renters may much more than property owners. But she may change once she gets into the position.

Ana Bailão:
1. professional politician. Familiar with the system but has no leader experience. I only got to notice her name recently.
2. Claim to make Toronto most exciting city with vibrant culture life and especially support of SMB to boost economy by allocating more fund to education and training, and generating more jobs with good pay and rewarding the hardworking people. So people have more chances to demonstrate their value to themselves, their families and society. And at the same time, with good income, they have choices to own the property no matter condo or house, where they call home. I think this is the true and sustainable solution of affordable housing. This is more younger mindset thinking.
3. She may get a chance to win with right strategy.

Mark Saunders:
1. claim to improve safety, and safety is always the 1st concern of everyone. Proven leader experience in his professional area.
2. not an experienced politician but Premier Ford would like to work with.
3. He may get a chance to win with right strategy.

Anthony Furey:
1. an executive at the True North media network and former Toronto Sun columnist, which meaning he observes a lot and thinks a lot. But no political experience.
2. promised to abolish the city's RentSafe TO program, clear tent encampments, abandon plans for two new safe drug consumption sites and hire 500 more police officers. Drug consumption is hurting people's health both body and mind. Those so called safe drug consumption sites remind me the history that opium consumption sites all over the places in China back to late 1800s and early 1900s..... I agree no to increase drug consumption sites, instead to have more rehab centers to help people get rid of the drug use.
3. I do not think he has a chance to win this time though. Maybe next election.

So did your vote make a difference?

LOL elections..... manna for the masses.....

You want to make a difference? Convince at least 50% of the population to stop ALL unnecessary purchases.

Hey, I didnt' say it would be a GOOD difference! LOL

[Frank Dixon]

The Toronto region's population growth has been outpacing its increase in housing supply for decades. And Toronto residential rental / purchase prices have increased among the fastest in the world during the same period. Yet property taxes have stayed quite low. Toronto must have the lowest property taxes of any major city in a developed country, in the world.

[Dilip Panjwani]

Toronto must have the lowest property taxes of any major city in a developed country, in the world.

That is NOT the reason for Torontonians not having the best services...
GOVERNMENT (and that includes Municipalities) WASTE is the reason.
Your desired increased taxation will not improve services...it will simply help the Municipal Corporation to add a layer of complications and waste in its budget...