A proposed Durham Region property tax cut aimed at removing the education portion of residential tax bills was overwhelmingly defeated at both the Whitby and Durham Region council levels.
Whitby Regional Councillor Chris Leahy introduced the motion, suggesting the province eliminate the education portion of property taxes — approximately 10 per cent, or about $700 annually for some homeowners — and recover the funds through other provincial revenue sources. The proposal was conditional on the potential removal of school board trustees by the province.
The motion was defeated 6–2 at Whitby’s committee of the whole and later rejected 24–1 at Durham Region council, with Leahy casting the sole vote in favour at the regional level.
Criticism came from councillors across Durham, who argued the proposal was misleading and unrealistic. Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe described the idea of replacing nearly $6 billion in education funding provincewide as “laughable,” warning the money would need to be recovered through higher provincial taxes.
Several councillors raised concerns that eliminating the education portion of property taxes could result in higher provincial income taxes, reduced municipal transfer payments, or increased provincial downloading. Others emphasized the importance of school board trustees and warned against municipalities attempting to influence provincial taxation policy.
Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster said education leaders had advised him the proposal was a poor idea, while Ajax Regional Councillor Marilyn Crawford, a former school board trustee, stressed the importance of representation in education governance.
Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy and other councillors echoed concerns that the motion was speculative and distracted from municipal responsibilities. Some described the proposal as deceptive, arguing it created the illusion of savings without addressing where the funding would ultimately come from.
In the end, council members agreed the proposal did not deliver the tax relief it promised and voted decisively to defeat the motion.
