Toronto council has voted to appeal the property tax assessments of nine golf courses that have benefitted from a 40-year-old deal with the old Metropolitan Toronto to keep their taxes low.
At the same time, councillors decided to ask those privately owned, exclusive golf courses to open their gates to community members and the disabled. The vote, which came in the last day of the last meeting of council before the election, was a continuation of an old crusade led largely by Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Howard Moscoe, to reverse a deal cut by former Metro Chairman Fred Gardiner with the golf courses.Under the deal, golf courses would be able to defer property taxes, as an encouragement to maintain the large swathes of greenspace and not sell off to developers. Over the years, three golf courses did sell. But the rest saved an estimated $33 million in property taxes - all of which are deferred until the land is sold.The motion, by Scarborough Southwest Councillor Adrian Heaps, said that the city should see some benefit from that - and private golf clubs with exclusive, expensive membership lists should contribute something back to the city."We could all go down with our families and look through a fence at the greenery - but when registration fees are between $40,000 and $140,000, going in is beyond the means of most families," he said.Heaps' motion would have staff ask other golf clubs in the city to adopt the kind of community outreach program adopted by the Oakdale Golf Club in Scarborough. Moscoe, meanwhile, moved to appeal those assessments that are too high."It's time to take proactive steps on this," he said. "Since 1952 we have been subsidizing them. It's time to put some leverage. These are golf cart welfare bums who continue to take advantage of the taxpayer."Some councillors thought the motion went to far. Etobicoke Centre Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby said it was too onerous to require private golf clubs to open up to the public."To suggest clubs should open up to people who aren't members - well, what is the point of a private golf club?" she said.