As of July 1st, the City of Toronto will begin taxing charities for garbage removal. With little notice and even less consultation, the addition of thousands of dollars to food program budgets across the city means more money will be spent on garbage – money that could have gone to purchasing food and running important programs for charities across the city.
At a May 10th meeting with concerned charities, the general manager for the Solid Waste Services, Vincent Sferrazza, managed to give some hope by indicating a willingness to work with representative organizations to review and make recommendations for changes to the new garbage removal fee beginning in 2013.
While optimistic that the city is open to discussing the issue, 2013 is still too late for many charities, who will have already spent months paying hundreds and thousands of dollars in garbage fees. Many of Daily Bread’s member agencies are small, with limited budgets and resources. When asked what the impact this news would have on the services they provide, member agencies indicated that the extra unexpected cost would mean a decrease in services to those in need. Many are still trying to figure out what the final costs will be for them as communications from the city of Toronto, if any, have been sparse.
We need your support now! More importantly, we need your voice. Let your city councillor know how you feel about garbage fees for charities. The Social Planning Toronto group has also set up an online petition which helps you send messages directly to your city councillor about the garbage fee for charities. Not sure who your councillor is? Click here to find out, as well as how to contact them.
Find out more:
Toronto Star – Charities face up to $20,000 in new garbage fees.
