Heads and Beds levy on institutions renewed, with annual plea to the province to update the frozen $75 rate

Executive Committee · 2026-07-21 · 2026.EX33.12

Heads and Beds levy on institutions renewed, with annual plea to the province to update the frozen $75 rate

Executive Committee approved the 2026 'Heads and Beds' levy, a roughly $20.6M charge of $75 per full-time student, hospital bed, or correctional bed on colleges, universities, hospitals, and jails. Deputy Mayor Ainslie moved his customary annual motion (nicknamed the Howard Moscoe memorial motion) urging the province to let the rate rise with inflation, which would yield about $30.6M more. Ainslie noted provincial staff told him at AMO they are now studying the issue.

amendedExecutive Committee · Tue, Jul 21On the Toronto City Council agenda for 2026-07-29provincial decision

Who did what

Councillor Paul Ainslie (Ward 24) movedMoved his annual motion urging the province to update the frozen levy rate, noting provincial staff said they were studying it

From the floor

“I have my annual motion to move. Madame Mayor, the last AMO meeting I was at and provincial staff actually told me they were studying this, so there might be progress”Councillor Paul Ainslie (Ward 24)

“There was Howard Moscoe memorial motion picked up by Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie. Good for you”Speaker not identified

Also in this item

• The $75-per-head/bed rate has been frozen since 1987; if indexed to CPI it would be $186.08 in 2026 and raise an extra $30.6M, and provincial staff are reportedly now studying updating it

The journey

Tue, Jul 21 · Executive Committee · amended

Wed, Jul 29 · Toronto City Council · scheduled, not yet heard

You can still act

On the Toronto City Council agenda for 2026-07-29

Item proceeds to City Council; residents can contact their councillor before the Council vote, though the rate change itself depends on provincial legislation.

Decision

Committee carried both the 2026 Heads and Beds levy authority and Deputy Mayor Ainslie's annual motion asking the province to update the frozen rate.

Watch it happen

Jump to this item in the meeting video

Why is this story here?

ContainedThe levy is a legally-required annual revenue measure (~$20.6M) inside an expected budget line, and the accompanying motion is a non-binding request to the province. A future council could redirect or the province could change it; bounded and reversible, so real-but-contained.Touches a narrow groupThe levy falls on institutions (colleges, universities, hospitals, jails), not directly on residents. No ordinary resident notices this charge in their week; the effect reaches daily life only at a remove.

Stories are ordered by how much weight a decision carries and how directly it reaches daily life. They rise as a decision date approaches and fall as they age.

Official title: 2026 Heads and Beds Levy on Institutions · meeting video