The Town of Whitby Council is formally requesting that the Government of Ontario remove the education portion of the property tax assessment from municipal tax bills across the province.
The request is conditional upon the Minister of Education eliminating the requirement for school board trustees to be elected through the municipal election process, and transitioning to a provincially administered model of education governance and funding, said a town report.
On January 28, Minister Paul Calandra, placed Peel District School Board and York Catholic District School Board under provincial supervision, bringing to eight the number of Ontario school boards placed under provincial supervision.
The town urged the province to assume full responsibility for the funding, collection, and administration of education costs, thereby relieving municipalities of this responsibility.
The resolution was moved by Councillor Chris Leahy, who pointed out that property taxes in Ontario include an education levy collected by municipalities on behalf of the province, which represents some 11 per cent of the total Town of Whitby property tax bill for residential taxpayers.
No Local Say
The resolution pointed out that municipalities have no control over education tax rates, education spending priorities, or education governance, despite being responsible for the collection of the education portion of the property tax. Queen’s Park exercises exclusive constitutional authority over education, including curriculum, funding formulas, and school board governance.
The election of school board trustees through the municipal election process is currently being debated as part of the governance model for school boards by the provincial government. Removing the education portion of the property tax would provide immediate and meaningful property tax relief to Whitby and all Ontario residents, at a time of significant affordability pressures.
Taxation Without Representation
A governance model that excludes elected trustees would mean that property taxpayers would be receiving taxation without representation, which is a basic principle expressed in the Canadian Constitution; and the principle of “no taxation without representation” is a fundamental constitutional principle in Canadian law, explicitly recognized and codified by sections 53 and 90 of the Constitution Act, 1867, the resolution pointed out.
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