|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
|---|
| Iszkula, Robert |
Yes |
Yes, Area rating for transit needs to be phased out. Public transit is an indicator of a city's well being, and is part of a package that a city can use to attract new investment. We need to commit funding across all wards, because good transit not only helps those who ride it, but helps the rest of us by making our city a world class place to call home. |
| Whitehead, Terry |
Yes |
I have been very vocal on the issue of inequity of the outlying areas contribution to public transit. Public transit is a core service and it is a measurement of a robust, vibrant community; its level of funding is a measurement. If I was to make a comparison, education is a fundamental area of responsibility to all taxpayers. Even though seniors do not have children in the education system, they still pay education taxes. This is our acknowledgment on how important education is to society. I believe from a tax policy point of view, the same arguments could be made about public transit. This is not about whether you receive it or not, its about the commitment to public transit to meet the current and future needs of our community. Area rating on transit for urban areas must be eliminated. |
| Wilson, Bryan |
Yes |
I do support phasing out of area rating. And I know a lot of people will say they don't like that idea because now people are paying for something they aren't receiving. But they wont receive it unless it can be paid for and the only way to do that is to adequately fund it. I saw this happen as a small child growing up outside of Ottawa. We amalgamated and were forced to pay Ottawa taxes and guess what? We ended up getting a bus route 20 minutes out of town. It works. |
