Exposing Special Interest Favors
While working families in Ward 8 face residential property tax increases, user fee hikes, and reduced transit frequency, City Hall quietly maintains a $41 Million tax break for private, elite golf clubs occupying hundreds of acres of prime land.
1. Ending the $41M Private Golf Club Tax Break
Under legacy agreements, private golf clubs in Toronto enjoy discounted municipal tax assessments while excluding the general public. At a time when Toronto faces severe budget deficits and Ward 8 infrastructure is starved for capital, giving tens of millions in tax breaks to exclusive clubs is unconscionable.
Jason McDonald will fight to eliminate these special tax breaks and ensure all private commercial properties pay their fair share, redirecting those tax revenues directly into local Ward 8 road paving, public park maintenance, and community centers.
2. Truth in Construction Timelines & Public Live Tracking
For years, agencies like Metrolinx and City Hall transit departments have issued vague, constantly shifted completion dates for the Eglinton Crosstown and local utility roadworks. Small business owners were repeatedly told “just one more season,” driving over 300 storefronts into bankruptcy.
We will mandate a real-time public dashboard for every major construction project in Ward 8, displaying contract terms, daily worker counts, current milestones, and exact penalty metrics for delays.
3. Full Public Disclosure of Developer & Lobbyist Meetings
Ward 8 residents deserve to know who is influencing City Hall decisions. Under Jason's transparency guidelines, all meetings between the City Councillor's office, commercial property developers, and registered municipal lobbyists will be logged and published online monthly.
4. Open-Book Neighborhood Budgeting for Ward 8
Capital allocation decisions should not happen behind closed doors. Jason will establish participatory ward budgeting assemblies, giving Ward 8 residents a direct vote on how discretionary local infrastructure funds are allocated in their immediate neighborhoods.