In defence of higher property taxes

Plus, a tossed gun case and the role of police in Canadian crime rates [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on another criminal case tossed due to a lack of judges, the potential property tax hike in Toronto and the effectiveness of police in reducing crime. DON’T MISS Chris So/Toronto Star Courts [A gun case is the latest to be tossed due to a lack of judges at Toronto Superior Court]( At least two criminal cases in Toronto have been thrown out within two months due to a delay caused by insufficient judges, Jacques Gallant reports. In the latest case, a man was facing firearm charges related to a fatal shooting. Because no judge was available to hear his trial scheduled for May 2023, it would have to be rescheduled for December. At that rate, it would have taken his case 30 months and 43 days to make its way through the system from the time of arrest — just over the Supreme Court’s strict 30-month deadline for Superior Court cases. [Here’s why the judge says the federal government’s failure to appoint judges continues to “plague” the courts](. - Context: The Supreme Court has said cases that take more than 30 months must be thrown out for violating an accused person’s right to a trial within a reasonable time unless the Crown proves there were exceptional circumstances. Delay caused by the defence doesn’t count towards the calculation. - By the numbers: There are 25 Superior Court vacancies throughout Ontario and two empty spots on the Court of Appeal. Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star City Hall [Experts say a big tax hike would correct Toronto’s revenue gap]( Toronto’s potential 10.5 per cent property tax hike might be painful, but it could raise badly needed revenue for the city and close the gap between Toronto property taxes and that of other neighbouring cities, Ben Spurr reports. After all, Toronto property owners have enjoyed a “real bonus of very low rates for so many years,” says Frank Clayton, a senior research fellow at the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Centre for Urban Research and Land Development. [This chart shows how Toronto’s property taxes compare to other GTHA areas](. - By the numbers: An analysis Clayton published last year found Toronto could have collected an extra $1.63 billion in tax revenue between 2016 and 2021 if it had raised its effective tax rate. Notably, the city was facing a $1.8 billion shortfall headed into this year. - Meanwhile: The fight over refugee funding is heating up as [a Liberal MP accuses Olivia Chow of “lying to Torontonians]( - Edward Keenan’s take: The fact that Olivia Chow’s tax hike gambit angered local Liberal MPs [doesn’t make her wrong](. Steve Russell/Toronto Star Policing [Police spending has “no consistent correlation” with lower crime rates]( After examining a decade of data from Canada’s 20 largest municipalities, a new study has found no clear relationship between higher police budgets and crime or increased police spending and reduced crime rates, Emily Fagan reports. Meanwhile, that decade saw police spending rise significantly across the country, and police services as the largest expense in a majority of cities. “I think a lot of people simply assume that more money for the police will mean safer communities,” said co-author Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, an associate professor in Sociology at the University of Toronto. “We’re demonstrating that that’s not the case.” [Here’s what else the study found — and the questions it raises for police](. - By the numbers: Vancouver had the most expensive police budget per capita, at about $500 per person — more than double the amount spent by Quebec City, which paid the least among the 20 municipalities. - On the home front: The City of Toronto’s proposed 2024 budget allocated a slight annual increase for Toronto police, but still $12.6 million short of the $1.186 billion requested by police. [The police chief said the budget posed “unacceptable risks.” Critics called his comments “irresponsible.]( WHAT ELSE In half a day, Donald Trump went from the thrill of his Iowa victory to [playing the victim in a New York court](. Sources say Toronto MP [Carolyn Bennett will become Canada’s ambassador to Denmark](. Canada is banning federal funding for [research linked to foreign universities and labs that pose a risk to national security](. Justin Trudeau says Pierre Poilievre is turning on Ukraine — [and that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has noticed](. Housing starts across Canada fell seven per cent in 2023. “[It’s a real problem.]( [Bankruptcy trustees say they’re getting more calls from preconstruction homebuyers](. Jordan Peterson has [lost his bid to overturn an order that he take social media training](. If this is your first winter driving an electric vehicle, [here are five things you should know](. Toronto banned tobogganing at 45 hills across the city. [So, here’s where you can bring your sled](. A man has died at a Quebec ski hill, [the province’s second death on the slopes in a week](. DJing, the arts and beauty. [Here’s how a neighbourhood advocate is raising his voice for Jane and Finch](. [Local establishments are increasingly setting up shop together amid a dining slump]( — this Toronto brewery is looking for a coffee partner. POV Jason Franson/The Canadian Press [Rachel Notley is stepping down as Alberta NDP leader — and leaves a gaping hole](. CLOSE-UP Nick Lachance/Toronto Star NORTH YORK: Steven Warner has been staying at a warming centre with what remains of his belongings since it opened for the season. He lost several bags when a downpour soaked them and a quick cold snap froze them to the ground before he could relocate. Here’s why, at a packed warming centre, [Warner feels there is “no hope for anyone.]( Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_207264). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited digital access New Year Sale: Only $1.25/week — save $60 [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](