Mayor David Miller unveiled new programs Monday designed to help Torontonians get jobs, stay in their homes and access social services.

The announcement comes one day before Toronto city council reviews the annual budget, which is expected to introduce an up to 4 per cent property tax increase.

Speaking from the Parkdale Public Library during the noon hour on Monday, Miller detailed new and expanded social service programs that will be part of the forthcoming $8.6-million Operating Budget.

"The programs will allow the City of Toronto to leverage what it has to deliver the services and programs our community needs now," Miller said.

Monday's announcement focused heavily on employment programs including:

  • expanding evening job program hours reaching more than 6,000 people
  • adding 35,000 new employment resource books at public library branches
  • creating a new career planning webpage
  • creating the "Toronto Employment Hub" resource and training centre at Metro Hall
  • streamlining the "Gold Star" program giving priority to new industrial and commercial development applications

New low-income housing and senior's initiatives are also in the works and include:

  • better rent loan access to 1,300 low-income households behind on their payments
  • help paying last month's rent for 450 low-income households leaving an unsubsidized unit
  • help for 100 social housing families who've recently lost employment
  • meal plans for low-income seniors in long-term care
  • expanded senior drop-in centre, homemaking and nursing programs

Together the programs will retain or generate 20,000 jobs and $2.3 billion in investment, Miller said.

The new budget will be under review at City Hall starting Tuesday morning. Miller has promised council will "do everything in its power to keep a 2009 property tax increase between 2 and 4 per cent."

But one city councillor recently suggested the final number is likely to be closer to 4 per cent. Don Valley East Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong recently told The Globe and Mail he expects the mayor will come out on the higher side of the range, based on previously tabled budgets.

"(Taxes) are really high as it is for young families trying to stay in the city. I think it's making it more difficult for us," one resident walking Queen Street told CTV Toronto on Monday.

In December, Miller said a property tax freeze is out of question as it would require massive cuts to services people depend on daily. He did, however, promise to freeze TTC fares.

Money for day-to-day city services such as fire, police, emergency medical services, public transit, waste collection, recycling, libraries, parks and recreation and child care are funnelled through the operating budget. City staff salaries and operating expenses also come from the same budget.

In response to the global recession, Miller has frozen his own salary to last year's pay level, at just over $163,000. The executive committee recently postponed a decision on whether city councillors should do the same or keep their pay increase consistent with the rate of inflation, as they have in years past.

Tuesday's budget will likely include a roughly 1 per cent property tax increase for local businesses as well. An additional $20 million could be generated from the increases.

The city will also roll out its already-approved 10-year $25.9 billion capital plan on Tuesday. The capital budget pays for infrastructure projects such as road repairs, purchasing TTC vehicles, building costs, and new equipment.

Capital budget plans over the next 10 years include:

  • the construction of three new transit lines
  • the purchase new buses, subway cars, and streetcars
  • a revitalization of Union Station and Nathan Philips Square
  • a bike network expansion

The final decision on the budget will be made by April 1.

Last year, property taxes in Toronto were raised by 3.75 per cent.

In December, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said municipal property assessments mailed to homes in the province were "unrealistic" given dramatic drops in the financial and real estate markets.

Miller is expected to make a related announcement Monday on how city programs can help residents and business cope with the recession.

The budget meeting will be webcast from City Hall at www.toronto.ca.

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV's Dana Levenson