Municipalities across Ontario warn of property tax increases due to Doug Ford's speed camera ban

From Aurora to Barrie to Caledon to Midland and muncipalities across Ontario, local politicians say property taxes will rise without the revenue from speed cameras. Like our coverage of Doug Ford's contract for provincial policing — which, due to media coverage, forced the Ford government to provide more money to municipalities — we will follow closely this issue of municipal and property taxation.

We present four articles on the "ill-advised and non-evidence-based decisions" speed camera ban from across Ontario combined into one. For more information on municipal taxation, read: Municipalities: A Taxing Problem.

MIDLAND, Sept. 26, 2025 – The two-year pilot project of automated speed enforcement cameras in Midland could be a failed endeavour, following the provincial announcement this week to ban the municipal cameras.

Called a “cash grab” by Premier Doug Ford and “nothing more than a tool for raising revenue” by Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria on Thursday, the announcement to introduce legislation next month which would ban the use of municipal automated speed enforcement cameras across Ontario came to a surprise of Midland council members.

Midland had approved a two-year pilot project in June of 2024, with two cameras installed earlier this year for school-focused community safety zones: Mundy’s Bay Public School on Yonge Street, and Sacred Heart Catholic School on William Street. Speeds in both zones were lowered to 40 kilometres per hour.

Although council acknowledged that municipal revenue could be generated from speeders, Mayor Bill Gordon referred to the initiative late last year as “the stupid tax” to be paid for by those choosing to race through a school zone rather than change their driving behaviour. The program went live on September 2.

At the recent meeting of council, Coun. Catherine MacDonald quickly drafted an on-the-fly letter to send to various provincial agencies with the support of council, including the Premier. The letter cited statistics regarding 73 percent of Ontario drivers supporting cameras as a speed deterrent, a study showing reduction of aggressive driving in Toronto school zones by nearly half, and an endorsement from the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police for the cameras.

The letter, approved by Midland council, expressed “our strong opposition to any attempt to usurp this community safety initiative” as per MacDonald.

Mayor Bill Gordon called the letter a “symbolic gesture”, and chided Ford for deciding “unilaterally, Trump-like unilaterally quite frankly, to decree the end to a program that his government actually introduced, made, and brought into law in 2022.”

(MidlandToday published a column Sept. 18 titled 'Speed cameras should improve public safety. That's a good thing')

Gordon noted the costs associated with implementing the program including: signing a two-year contract with the town of Newmarket; infrastructure to buy and install the cameras; and jobs associated with the program. 

“We're abandoning, basically, a free revenue source that's paid for by the offender,” said Gordon, “and substituting it with law-abiding tax dollars that go to the province.” He added that he had spoken with Ford for a five-minute conversation but was unable to sway the premier.

“When the province wades in and steps on what little jurisdiction we have, and appears to make ham-fisted — maybe good-intentioned but — ill-advised and non-evidence-based decisions that impact the safety of my community, that raises my ire and I will stand up even to our own potential detriment for what's right, and for the safety in our community,” said Gordon. “It seems like a little dark day for community safety in Midland.”

Following the meeting, Gordon provided MidlandToday with statistics for the Sacred Heart zone on the first week in which the Midland automated speed enforcement cameras were implemented.

Starting September 2, roughly 400 vehicles were ticketed, with nearly 310 tickets for drivers doing between 20-30 kilometres per hour [over the speed limit] in the 40 kilometre per hour community safety zone, and just over 20 tickets for those clocked over 30 kilometres per hour. The highest speed recorded was 83 kilometres per hour.

“Through a school zone,” said Gordon. “And the argument is: ‘well there’s no kids in school, so I should be able to speed there; why do you have the speed lowered there for?’ Well, where else does the speed limit change by time of day? It’s the same speed 24-7 on any other road.”

Through the span to September 19, nearly 1,300 tickets were issued to speeders, with a quarter of offenders travelling over 20 kilometres per hour above the speed limit.

“It's just mind-numbing listening to people's arguments trying to  justify why they're so entitled to be able to speed with impunity  anywhere in our community, let alone in front of an elementary school on  a truck route,” said Gordon, who noted the Highway Traffic Act doesn’t  allow flashing lights to regulate speed where ASE is active, so static  speed limit signs are necessary to keep the limits clear and  enforceable.

"That is why the school zones are now permanently 40km/hr. We have no discretion when it comes to the Highway Traffic Act."

On recent social media, Gordon reiterated Midland council support for automated speed enforcement and traffic safety initiatives, but shared that an approach by Barrie council to phase out the program with replacement of red light cameras would be looked at for the town; he added he wouldn’t recommend the replacement without evidence to support their use.

Council meetings are held every third Wednesday, and can be viewed on Rogers TV cable channel 53 when available, or through the livestream on the Rogers TV website. Archives of council meetings are available through Rogers TV and on the Town of Midland’s YouTube channel.

Editor's note: This version includes a clarification on flashing lights by Mayor Gordon. Derek Howard is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with MidlandToday.ca.

YORK REGION, Oct. 2, 2025 – The Region of York is calling for reimbursement from the Province after Queen’s Park moved to cancel speed camera programs Ontario-wide — but Aurora’s Regional rep, Mayor Tom Mrakas, suggests such a move might be premature.

Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday morning the government intends to introduce legislation that would ban the use of municipal automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras across the Province, arguing they were being used as a form of revenue rather than as a means to improve road safety.

Instead, the Province will introduce a new fund to help municipalities “implement alternative safety measures, including proactive traffic-calming initiatives like speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks and curb extensions,” as well as public education and improved signage to slow down drivers.

“At a time when governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to lower costs and make life more affordable, too many municipalities are using speed cameras as a cash grab,” said Premier Ford in a statement. “Enough is enough. Instead of making life more expensive by sending speeding tickets to drivers weeks after the fact, we’re supporting road-safety measures that will prevent speeding in the first place, keep costs down, and keep our streets safe.”

While the Town of Aurora never installed ASE cameras on local streets, cameras in the community, such as those on Yonge Street, were installed by the Region. 

The Premier’s announcement last Thursday morning coincided with a meeting of Regional Council where questions were raised around the practicality of alternative speed controls on Regional roads, how to keep roads safe, as well as how the Region might be reimbursed by the Province for the money spent on existing cameras.

“The debate’s been going on for a week or two now, a month or two now, and what I just want to say is…the experts, the Ontario Safety League, the Association of Chiefs of Police, SickKids Hospital, the people who spend their every waking hour trying to save the lives of children and adults, endorse the program, and support the program,” said Newmarket Mayor John Taylor. “They know it works, they know it saves lives.

“This program could be reduced in scope by 75 per cent, still leaving municipalities with a handful of cameras as tools to use in really important spots, spots where crises occur, or, heaven forbid, a death occurs or a child is injured …. Please don’t talk to me about flashing signs and speed humps. We’ve been there and done that for decades. We know what truly works, what truly is effective, and that’s speed cameras and safety cameras.”

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said it was “presumptuous” of the Province to say they will give municipalities money for other initiatives “when municipalities have paid millions and millions of dollars for equipment” for the program and these investments were made in “good faith.”

Scarpitti moved a motion, which was approved on a vote of 17 – 1, to call on the Province for reimbursement.

“Let’s put a few speed humps on Regional roads and maybe in six months’ time, we’ll see new legislation that says, ‘No, no, take those out. We were just kidding. We didn’t mean for you to put in speed humps to slow down speeders in school zones with speed humps,’” he said. “If the Province of Ontario thinks that we’re going to saddle our property taxpayers with the costs that have not been covered because they’ve now decided to change their direction of what they want municipalities to do in relation to speeding in school zones, we’re not going to pass that onto property taxpayers and the Province of Ontario… should [be] reimbursing the Region, local municipalities that have spent the money to put in place a program that was authorized by the Province of Ontario.”

Richmond Hill Mayor David West was of a similar view, who said the financial implications of cancelling the program were important — a view shared by Regional staff who said there will be implications for staff members who were hired to implement the ASE program — and speed control alternatives offered by the Province fell short of the mark.

“There’s no way that our emergency services are going to be able to navigate in an emergency, when they are in a hurry, speed bumps,” he said. “Signs with flashing lights aren’t going to be equivalent in terms of safety improvements to a program like ASE. If there’s some idea out there that will actually be equivalent to the safety improvements that we’re seeing with ASE then I’m all ears.

“What I am hearing so far about putting in flashing lights…it’s not going to work. I guess the other thing is the speed bumps on Regional roads, I mean that can’t happen. We can’t have fire trucks, police cars and ambulances who are in a hurry to get to where they need to go having to slow down over speed bumps. I think we need to inject a dose of reality into what I’ve heard so far.”

While Mayor Mrakas, Aurora’s representative at the Regional table, was not present for the vote on the motion calling on the Province for reimbursement, in a statement following the meeting he expressed some caution.

“I am aware that some governments want the Province to fully reimburse municipalities for ASE installation and implementation costs. While this perspective is understandable, it’s important to recognize that ASE was originally designed as a cost-recovery initiative, with revenues intended to offset equipment and operational expenses,” he said. “It would make sense then that municipalities first use the revenues they’ve collected to offset their program expenses before asking for reimbursement.

“Transparency is essential. Municipalities should clearly show how those revenues generated by the ASE program have been allocated, particularly in relation to their intended purpose of road and traffic safety initiatives. If the funds were not spent on these priorities but directed elsewhere, it would be difficult, in my opinion, to justify additional financial support from the Province. Where ASE revenues are insufficient to cover program costs, it may be appropriate to request the Province to consider addressing the shortfall. However, municipalities should first demonstrate responsible use of collected revenues. Transparency and accountability are key — after all, there is only one taxpayer.”

Brock Weir is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with The Auroran in York Region.

SPRINGWATER TOWNSHIP, Oct. 2, 2025 – For the past couple of years in Springwater Township, Councillors Matt Garwood and Phil Fisher have been singing the praises of and how speed cameras will help reduce speeding in critical community safety zones across the municipality.

They’ve touted the efficiency and the results of automated speed enforcement (ASE) and have been waiting patiently while township staff have been working behind the scenes to secure a provider.

Imagine their disappointment when, a couple of weeks ago, the province’s top politician — Premier Doug Ford — called on municipalities to abandon the program, calling it a “cash grab.”

Garwood said he agrees with Ontario’s police leaders who view speed cameras as a traffic safety tool that can help change driver behaviour and reduce crashes, not a revenue tool.

He was seeking council’s support of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) request to the province to work collaboratively with municipalities that operate ASE programs and AMO to develop improvements to the speed-camera program.

“AMO is obviously significantly disappointed with the decision, as are many in the policing community,” Garwood said during Wednesday night’s council meeting. “A provincewide ban, according to AMO, is over-reach and AMO has advised that they will advocate against the ban and urge municipalities to do the same.

“That’s what I’m asking today,” he added.

Acknowledging that Springwater would be just one of 444 voices, the total number of municipalities in Ontario, Garwood said he didn’t expect the township’s position to influence others, but he did think supporting AMO sends an important message.

Fisher agreed. He said he fully supports speed cameras as a way to enforce speed limits — not just in school zones, but around the entire township.

“I was disappointed with Mr. Ford’s move to cancel them,” Fisher said. “I actually think it’s short-sighted and I actually believe that some of his alternatives are pretty weak, actually.

"I will certainly get behind this,” he added.

According to Fisher, a full ASE program in the township would free up police to deal with “larger issues.”

“(The police) are spread thin and they’re dealing with larger issues, so they can’t sit there all of the time in every single neighbourhood,” he said. “It’s just not cost-effective.”

According to municipal officials in Essa Township, which introduced speed cameras in January 2024, the program delivers the results the municipality hoped it would.

“We have observed improved compliance with speed limits in locations where cameras have been installed, which contributes to overall road safety,” Michael Mikael, Essa’s chief administrative officer, told BarrieToday recently. “While enforcement is necessary, the goal is, and will always remain, safer roads for our community.”

Springwater Deputy Mayor George Cabral, a former police officer with more than three decades of policing service to his credit, argued there was some credibility to Ford’s position.

“I’m not going to sit here and pretend that speed cameras are the answer,” Cabral said. “The reason I say that is if you’ve got a speed camera that’s giving out a thousand tickets a month, that’s a thousand people that are speeding every month that aren’t slowing down.

“If you want to stop people from speeding, go take a drive on Hanmer (Street) there in Barrie, where the school is, you’ll see they have table-top bumps," he added. “That’s what you need to put in place, something that forces people to slow down."

Cabral noted drivers slow down for table-tops or speed humps because they don’t want to damage their vehicle.

He said speed cameras alone won’t do the job, but need to be rolled out in conjunction with other tactics to get motorists to slow down.

“I do see some credibility in what our premier does say on this topic, but I will support this going forward,” he said.

Springwater council voted unanimously to support Garwood's request.

A copy of the resolution will be sent to AMO, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MP Doug Shipley and MPP Doug Downey, Ontario Provincial Police and all municipalities in the province.

Wayne Doyle is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Barrie Today.

CALEDON, Oct. 2, 2025 – The Ontario government intends to introduce legislation this month that will ban the use of municipal automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras across the province.

"At a time when governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to lower costs and make life more affordable, too many municipalities are using speed cameras as a cash grab," said Premier Doug Ford in a statement last week. "Enough is enough. Instead of making life more expensive by sending speeding tickets to drivers weeks after the fact, we're supporting road-safety measures that will prevent speeding in the first place, keep costs down and keep our streets safe."

According to a news release, to improve road safety, the province will establish a new provincial fund to help affected municipalities implement alternative safety measures. 

This fund will include "proactive traffic-calming initiatives like speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks and curb extensions, as well as public education and improved signage, to slow down drivers."

If passed, this legislation will take effect immediately upon Royal Assent, preventing the use of municipal speed cameras in Ontario.

Where existing speed cameras are present in school zones, the province will introduce requirements for municipalities to install large signs with flashing lights.

However, some believe that removing ASE cameras is a mistake when it comes to road safety.

The Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy (CCRSA) Group shared that removing ASE cameras "is one less tool in the toolbox to improve road safety."

They shared that this is a missed opportunity to modify the program instead of eliminating it.

Amanda Corbett from the CCRSA said data from several sources show that ASE cameras are effective in reducing speeding; "Just because Ford says they don't work, doesn't mean that's true."

In the Automated Speed Enforcement Program Update for the City of Vaughan on June 4, 2025, it was stated that "Automated Speed Enforcement is a powerful road safety tool, and data presented in this report has shown a reduction of speeds in all 10 of the Community Safety Zones equipped with Automated Speed Enforcement cameras." 

Corbett also shared that due to a resource shortage in the Caledon OPP, and enforcement numbers on Highway Traffic Act offences already down.

“If ASEs are removed from the equation, we fear that speeding will become more out of control than it already is."

"Ford asserts that speed bumps and big flashing signs are the answer," says Corbett. "Speed bumps don't work in all cases, and larger flashing signs with the speed limit may have only temporary effects."

She says the ideal situation is improved road design, but that takes time.  

"During that time, if ASEs are removed and there is little to no enforcement, speeding will worsen," says Corbett.

Corbett says this decision to ban ASE cameras will cost taxpayers due to "the sunk cost of all those ASE cameras, processing centres and contract cancellations." 

"The Premier is stating that he'll provide money to the municipalities for road improvements, like speed bumps and flashing signs, well, there's only one taxpayer, so we'll be footing that bill as well," says Corbett.

"Public safety should be the main concern here, and unfortunately, it looks like speeding will get much worse as a result of this decision."

Riley Murphy is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with the Caledon Citizen.