The CEO of the Toronto Board of Trade suggested on Tuesday that the city consider implementing a residential property surcharge -- about $70 every year for the next five years -- to help them upgrade aging infrastructure.

The suggestion comes a day after a huge sinkhole opened up on Lakeshore Avenue blocking traffic for most of the afternoon.

Carol Wilding, head of the Board of Trade, made the suggestion at a budget committee meeting where about 100 people signed up to speak their minds about where and how the city should spend their money.

"The infrastructure deficit is rising to $1.7 billion," Wilding told reporters after her deputation. "That's why I'm saying, with the short-term budget that's balanced, we have a little bit of breathing space and now it's about getting on with tough decisions."

The proposed surcharge of 3 per cent is in addition to the city's proposed property tax increase of 3.75 per cent. The surcharge would work out to cost the average taxpayer about $70 a year.

User fee hike

The budget committee is also considering a staff proposal to raise fees for city-run recreational centres. That includes higher fees for parents whose children use ice rinks, swimming pools and soccer fields.

Fees could increase as much as 34 per cent, generating about $5.7 million for the cash-strapped city.

The proposal to increase permit fees is an attempt to fill a $6-million hole in the parks and recreation budget.

"You can't say on one hand you want kids to be more physically active and participate in sports and then on the other hand turn around and make it consistently more expensive, said Leigh Smout, a hockey coach and father of three.

"Some of us can afford it and some of us can't," he told CTV Toronto.

Another father said his children might not be able to participate in all the activities he used to enjoy.

"Then you have to start picking and choosing what they can do," he said.

Toronto's budget chief said the city will try to come up with an alternate solution so that kids won't be the one paying the price for the budget shortfall.

"We have to come up with an equitable proposal that won't lead to an exodus from the program because that's the last thing we want to see amongst these populations," said Shelley Carroll.

The budget committee will hold a detailed review of the recommendations on three separate days this month. Council will get to vote on the final budget on March 31 and April 1.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Alicia Kay-Markson