06-19-2018, 09:12 AM
(06-19-2018, 08:08 AM)creative Wrote: Snowfall scenario in our neighbourhood, just outside of the downtown core. Light snowfall, sidewalks shovelled by homeowners, usually the night before or the next morning before they go to work. Roads usually plowed before they come home from work. Moderate to heavy snowfall, sidewalks cleared in the morning or end of day when people return from work. Roads plowed in 2 or 3 days depending on amount of snowfall. If sidewalk clearing is coordinated with road plowing, our sidewalks would be impassible for 2 days or more. Personally my belief is that most sidewalks that are not cleared are rental properties. I don't like the idea of subsidizing these rental property owners.
City sidewalk plowing cannot reasonably be viewed as a subsidy to specific property owners. All property owners who currently shovel would benefit. Actually the ones who fulfill their responsibilities would benefit more than those who currently shirk — everybody’s taxes would go up a tiny bit, but the shirkers wouldn’t have an offsetting benefit of no longer needing to shovel. So if you really don’t like the idea of subsidizing those rental property owners, you will push for city plowing (or intensive enforcement, but I think it’s been pretty well established that just taking over the job will be more effective than enforcement).