Toronto city council is debating increasing the cost of a TTC fare in exchange for a lowered property tax.

The debate comes a week after Mayor David Miller proposed a four per cent property tax increase in the 2009 operating budget.

Some councillors say homeowners have paid enough and that transit riders should have to face some of the tax burden as well.

"Why should taxpayers who already get to pay other inflationary costs now have to pay this while riders get a free ride?" said councillor Doug Holiday in an interview with CTV Toronto.

Critics of the proposed property tax hike say a 10-cent TTC fare increase would raise about $20 million for the city. That is the same amount that would be generated by a one per cent property tax increase.

Shelley Carroll, Toronto's budget chief, said that raising fares would cost the TTC millions of riders.

"We did increase fares during the last recession and 45 million riders left the system. It took decades to get them back," she said.

In the budget Miller proposed on Feb. 11, the mayor vowed not to raise TTC fares in 2009.

Many homeowners told CTV Toronto they also use the TTC so they'll have to pay more on both ends.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness