London Transit service improvements stalled by a single vote as council keeps tax hike at 8.6% (so far)

City budget deliberations continue CTV’s Daryl Newcombe with ongoing City of London budget deliberations and what transpired on Thursday.

A marathon debate about transit funding dominated the third day of budget deliberations at city hall.

Citing community concerns about deteriorating bus service, Coun, David Ferreira put forward a motion to add $1.646 million to the budget for service growth at London Transit, adding 0.2 per cent to the tax rate increase.

The funding would support 18,000 additional service hours in 2024 to improve frequency and reduce crowding.

“This 18,000 hours is not enough,” he urged colleagues. “We need more. You’ll be heroes if you do.”

Ferreira described it as a compromise that would leave the door open to additional service growth investments during budget updates in 2025, 2026, and 2027.

Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis challenged some of the financial figures used to justify the LTC’s bid for additional investment, going so far as to suggest an independent analysis by auditors, “We have to ask some serious questions about the estimates and numbers we are getting from this organization.”

“We can have a larger discussion about looking into various aspects of LTC and their operation,” replied Coun. Skylar Franke. “But today, the only people who will lose out are transit riders.”

Coun. Sam Trosow went even further, “What I am not willing to do is hold the riders hostage for these decisions. The riders need relief!”

Ferreira’s motion fell short by a single vote (8-7).

Several councillors suggested the LTC should align its future funding requests with the city’s policy for allocating new tax assessment revenue collected on new construction.

In essence, requesting assessment growth funding for routes into new neighbourhoods or more busses in areas where high density development has boosted the population.

“I see it as a potential source of financing for the growth of the LTC, so I’ll definitely be pursuing that,” Ferreira committed.

Daylong deliberations included many divided votes, but only minor adjustments to Mayor Josh Morgan’s initial budget proposal.

The committee recessed 2024-2027 budget deliberations after several councillors expressed a desire to bring additional amendments forward for consideration.

Trosow verbally sparred with Lewis after being told deliberations might end before the Library Board has an opportunity to bring forward a revised budget request.

“It is not required, nor has it been the practice of this or past councils, to extend meetings because councillors are not prepared to bring business forward,” Lewis asserted.

“The library has been given some very significant challenges, and they are engaging in due diligence right now,” responded Trosow. “For you to accuse me of not being prepared, I really take issue with that!”

Coun. Corrine Rahman suggested slowing down the pace of deliberations to create the necessary time for revised budget requests to come forward, but the committee instead decided to extend deliberations one more day— Feb. 15.

“It’s giving everyone a chance to come fully prepared for anything that is still outstanding,” explained Budget Chair Elizabeth Peloza.

The proposed tax rate increase still stands at 8.6 per cent, which would add approximately $282 dollars to the property tax bill of the average home in 2024.

A final Public Participation Meeting will be held on Feb. 27, before the multi-year budget is finalized Feb. 29.