Small Businesses

"When we champion local small businesses and BIAs, we are investing in vibrant, walkable communities where everyone thrives together."

Austin Vieira
New Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)
I will help with the creation of the O’Connor-Bermondsey BIA, supporting the foundations of a Business Improvement Area that are already present in the community, and a Victoria Park & Danforth BIA to bridge the gap between our local business corridors.

Main Street Support
Our businesses on Queen, Danforth, Kingston Road, and O’Connor are the heartbeat of the ward. I support a Vacant Storefront Tax to penalize landlords who leave units empty for over six months, and I will fight for targeted property tax cuts for local small businesses rather than big corporations.


Fairer Revenue Tools

I will advocate for a Luxury Land Transfer Tax on homes over $3M to fund social infrastructure without burdening the middle class.

Protecting Seniors

I propose an expanded tax deferral program for "house-rich, cash-poor" seniors, allowing them to age in place by delaying tax increases until the sale of their home.

 

Let's work together

Community Wealth Building Procurement Model

Champion a requirement that all major city contracts and infrastructure projects use Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs). This ensures that municipal tax dollars stay in Toronto by mandating the hiring of local, diverse workers, paying union-scale wages, and creating apprenticeships for equity-seeking communities.

Good Jobs First

Champion commitment for a "Public First" delivery model for all expanding city services, imposing a strict, transparent public-interest audit before any city service can be considered for outsourcing. Privatization drains money out of the city to private corporations. Keeping services public protects decent, stable union jobs, which act as a massive economic stabilizer for Toronto families.

Living Wage Employer

Expand Toronto’s Fair Wage Policy to ensure all directly employed city workers, as well as all employees of contracted city vendors (like security, cleaning, and catering), are paid a certified Toronto Living Wage. It lifts thousands of working families out of poverty, reduces reliance on social services, and injects that money directly back into local neighborhood economies.