Tom Vegh, the politician who supped at the developers’ trough for years, yesterday turned on his former paymasters. 

Speaking in yesterday's debate at York Region on the impact of Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act 2022), Vegh accused the Ford Government of bringing in legislation which would mean taxpayers subsidising developers.

“We also talk about the taxpayers subsidizing growth. This is really a case of taxpayers subsidizing developers.”

These are very same developers who have subsidized Vegh for years. Bailing him out. Saving him from disqualification for overspending on his election campaigns. Now he has the nerve to bite the hand that feeds him.

The "Ford Tax" impact

Vegh’s three-minute contribution was noteworthy as he rarely speaks in debates at the Region. He is mostly invisible. Comfortable when keeping his thoughts to himself.

Vegh also argued that any property tax increases resulting from Ford’s More Homes Built Faster legislation (Bill 23) should be dubbed “the Ford tax”.

“We keep talking about the property tax impact. This is just a comment about language. This is really the Ford tax impact and I think we should just just start calling it the Ford tax. Quite frankly, let him own it.”

With this statement Vegh has now burned his bridges with the Provincial Progressive Conservatives. For years he harboured the ambition of going to Queen’s Park himself. 

Tom Vegh MPP.  

On 5 December 2016 Vegh told residents in Ward 1 that he was ready for a bigger challenge. In his Community e-letter he confessed he really wanted to be an MPP and he was up to it:

"If I am successful in the nomination and am given the opportunity to be your Newmarket-Aurora PC candidate, I promise to represent your interests at Queen's Park with the same vigor (sic) and professionalism as I have as your Ward 1 Newmarket councillor."

Impertinently, Vegh also suggested the projected tax rises presented by the highly competent Regional Treasurer, Laura Mirabella, should be vetted by an outside third party to give them more credibility. He said that third party would defend themselves:

“in a way that perhaps carries a bit more credibility than how we defend ourselves because of how people feel about government, politicians etc.”

Vetting Vegh

Vegh should know why people are skeptical of politicians and the promises they make. He is the man who solemnly promised a new public library in Newmarket. And a new Seniors' Centre. Neither materialised. We could have done with some independent third party vetting of Tom Vegh back then. 

In her comments the Regional Treasurer referred to Hemson Consulting.

And, no, Tom it’s not “Hempen Consulting” or “Hempton Consulting”.

It’s Hemson.

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Update on 24 February 2023 from Newmarklet Today: The "Doug Ford Tax": York Region faces a 2% - 7% tax increase due to Bill 23

Update on 7 March 2023: From Newmarket Today: Deputy Mayor declares campaign deficit

Click “Read more” below to read Tom Vegh’s very rare contribution to the debate at York Region.

Regional Councillor Tom Vegh: Thanks very much and like everyone else... you know... we received some of this information back in our education session and this is a little bit more... a little bit more detailed. This is... it's very good. Actually it's a little bit easier for the public to consume also. So I really appreciate getting a few comments and I have a question. 

We keep talking about the property tax impact. This is just a comment about language. This is really the Ford tax impact and I think we should just just start calling it the Ford tax. Quite frankly, let him own it. When you say property tax impact he will say well you have to be more efficient, you have to… you know… tighten your belts etc etc.

But this isn't as the result of some mismanagement or poor calculations of our part or poor projections. This is really… um…you know... what's going to happen to our property taxpayer. It really is the Ford tax quite frankly.

He's one that's caused this to happen and I think they need to own it as opposed to us using the language that we traditionally use.

Um… second. Its along the same lines. We also talk about the taxpayers subsidizing growth. This is really a case of taxpayers subsidizing developers. Ah. So once again perhaps we can call it what it is. Ah. Because that's the result which leads into my third comment here. When we speak about, you know, in your key messages… the province should ensure development charge savings result in lower home purchase price… I think it's pretty unlikely the province is going to put a cap on anything and what you can sell gum for what you can sell a house for. Um…So this is, once again, taxpayers just subsidizing developers.

Um. My question though… those are my comments. I could go on like everyone else about this… Um. But again, I just want to make sure for the public that we know where this lands. This doesn't land on us and this wasn't the result of our behaviour or calculations or projections etc. This was imposed on us. And the government that imposed it on us should take ownership of it quite frankly.

Um. Finally, we get a lot of numbers about… about the impact. Many, many charts. All very good. All scary also. But, and I have full confidence in them, but have these been vetted by any respected third party? I think would carry a lot more weight if we were able to say KPMG or… or anyone else…  looking at this says this will be the impact on property property taxes… eh… growth, anything like that. So has it been vetted?

Regional Treasurer Laura Mirabella: Through the chairman. There has been some vetting and some surveys of the impact across municipalities… so not specifically for York Region’s numbers. But the impacts that we have come up with for York region are quite consistent with what Hemson… you may be aware of Hemson…

Hemson has done some analysis across the sector and there's been some joint analysis done by the regional and single tier treasurers of Ontario and our impacts are pretty much falling in the same level. The impacts to taxpayers, the impacts to ratepayers are roughly the same.

Regional Councillor Tom Vegh: OK. All I’m suggesting is…um… it carries a bit more weight if you can say according to Hempen (sic) Hempton (sic) excuse me…  Hempen (sic)… this will be the impact on you the taxpayers as opposed to “according to” York region and some other municipal governments. People are skeptical of governments… quite… you know… Um… thinking that we have our own agenda also. 

But if we can have a respected third party and really use that and leverage that and say party “X” says this is how it's going to impact you and be able to use that type of language.

It also causes the province to address party “X”. And… um…they will defend themselves and you know in a way that perhaps carries a bit more credibility than how we defend ourselves because of how people feel about government, politicians etc. So that's just, you know, a bit of a comment but also it is a bit of a suggestion that maybe we should be going forward and try to get these numbers vetted… um… to give a bit more heft and a bit more weight and a bit more credibility. Thank you. 

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And from Tom's earlier pitch to become a PC MPP, promising vigour and professionalism: