Gabriel Miessener is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE.

On Tuesday, January 16th, the City of Toronto hosted a hybrid town hall meeting to discuss the prepared 2024 Budget. With half of the engagement held in person and the other conducted via Zoom, the city is embodying its commitment to inclusivity and transparency. With an expanded array of opportunities for public engagement, including the newly introduced Budget Telephone Town Halls, Toronto's government aims to ensure that the budget reflects the community's needs and priorities. 

Homelessness among Torontonians and asylum seekers is an issue prevalent in Regent Park, and throughout the Downtown East. The prepared budget aims to tackle this issue, but not without its drawbacks. The operating budget of 17$ billion is being supported by a 9% residential property tax increase. According to Councillor Carroll, this tax spike of 10.5% will be short-lived, and is only there to amend covid-19 debts, 12 years of service cuts and differing fiscal planning. The budget is also vital to maintain social programs, some of which are incredibly beneficial to the Regent Park neighbourhood. Dixon Hall is among them, providing food drives, shelter services, and youth programs. 

After speaking with locals, Councillor Shelley Carroll, Chair of the Budget Committee, became aware of the various unmet needs throughout the city of Toronto. Requests for faster and safer transit; requests for more affordable housing; requests for more medical service; requests for increased police presence - in some places, and in other places - requests for reduced police presence (to be replaced with the mental-health-trained Toronto Community Crisis Service). Nevertheless, the tax spike has raised concerns among the lower-income residents in Regent Park, and around the rest of the Downtown East.
 
Anthony Ing, interim executive director of the city’s financial planning division, reminded those attending the Town Hall meeting that the budget is still a work in progress, and that residents can send deputations to their local councillor with requests and concerns.