You asked, we answered

Service Vaughan answers the top five resident questions received in February

Have a question about a service in Vaughan? Want to know more about the City of Vaughan’s programs? The Service Vaughan team of agents is standing by ready to respond to your inquiries. The City’s contact centre can be reached by phone at 905-832-2281 (toll-free: 1-844-832-2112), email at service@vaughan.ca or in-person at Vaughan City Hall (2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.). 

Every month, the City releases common questions received and responded to by Service Vaughan in a series called ‘You Asked, We Answered.’ Below are the top five inquiries from February: 

1. When are my interim property taxes due, and how can I pay them? 

The 2023 interim property tax bills for residential and non-residential properties have been mailed out to all property owners. Below are the final payment due dates for all properties:

• First instalment – Wednesday, March 29
• Second instalment – Thursday, April 27
• Third instalment – Monday, May 29

If you do not receive your tax bill in the mail, contact the City immediately by phone at 905-832-2281 or by email at service@vaughan.ca. 

As all City facilities are cashless, here’s how you can pay interim property tax bills: 

• Pre-authorized payment plans, including a six-instalment and a 10-instalment option.
• Post-dated cheques made payable to the City of Vaughan that correspond with the amounts and due dates printed on the tax stubs.
• Financial institutions, either in-person, through the bank machine, online or via telephone.
• At City Hall, placed in marked drop-off boxes at each entrance.
• By mail, with a cheque payable to the City of Vaughan and sent in the return envelope enclosed with the tax bill. 

To learn more about each payment option, visit vaughan.ca/PropertyTax. 

2. How do I report a car parked on my street/blocking my driveway? 

If you would like to report a parked car on your street or blocking your driveway, you can do so by calling the City at 905-832-2281 or emailing bylaw@vaughan.ca.  

By-laws are put in place to ensure a safe and orderly community for all who live, work and play in Vaughan. On-street parking is allowed on any street for up to three hours without a permit between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. – unless otherwise signed by or prohibited by the Parking By-law 064-2019 (PDF). On-street parking is not allowed between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., unless the vehicle has a valid permit for that date, time and location. 

During the winter season, you are reminded to keep cars off the street while snowplows are out to help the City ensure streets are cleared properly and safely. As outlined in the City’s Parking By-law 064-2019 (PDF), on-street parking that interferes with snow-clearing operations is prohibited. Vehicles found in violation may be subject to a $75 fine or towed at the owner’s expense. 

The by-law is enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. Enforcement officers patrol the city issuing tickets for parking violations. Parking regulations may also be enforced by York Regional Police. 

For more information about parking in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/parking. 

3. When does registration for spring programs and summer camp open, and how can I register my kids? 

The City’s spring recreation and aquatic programs as well as summer camps are open for registration, so visit vaughan.perfectmind.com to book your child’s spot today! You can view a full list of programs in the Spring Recreation eGuide. For information about spring swim lessons and aquatic leadership programs, visit vaughan.ca/swim. The spring programming sessions start on Saturday, Mar. 25. 

Summer camps for children four to 16 years of age begin on Tuesday, July 4 with one- and two-week sessions running until Friday, Sept. 1. Camps are located at Vaughan community centres, heritage homes, parks, the City Playhouse Theatre and Vaughan Studios & Event Space. The City’s biggest summer camp lineup ever offers more than 75 unique camps and 25 new camps for kids with specialties in creative, culinary and performing arts, enrichment, leadership, recreation, sports, outdoor adventures and water adventures. For more information on summer camps, view the digital brochure at vaughan.ca/camps. 

If you require assistance creating an online registration account or registering, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281, email RecCSD@vaughan.ca or visit your local community centre. 

4. What is a windrow and when does the City clear them? 

A windrow refers to the pile of snow that is left at the bottom of a driveway after a snowplow has cleared the road. Windrow machines are designed to clear a portion of the driveway entrance so one car can drive through snow left by plows at the end of the driveway. Due to the limited size and reach of the windrow-clearing units, they can only clear a portion of the driveway entrance. The windrow service does not clear public laneways or windrows left by sidewalk plows and does not clear hardened snow, ice or the entire driveway. It is the responsibility of residents to clear the small windrow across a driveway created by sidewalk plows. 

The City’s goal is to have windrows cleared within four hours after snowplows have passed. However, factors such as heavy snowfalls and cars parked on the street or too close to the curb can delay these operations. 

Visit vaughan.ca/snow to learn more about Vaughan’s winter operations. 

5. Where do I report missed waste collection?

You can report missed recycling, organics, garbage and leaf and yard waste collection at vaughan.ca/ServiceVaughan under the ‘Garbage and Recycling’ section.

Blue box, green bin and garbage waste is collected on your scheduled collection day.  Waste items should be placed at the curb in the morning and no later than 7 a.m. on the day of your regularly scheduled collection. Waste collectors will not return for materials set out late. Visit vaughan.ca/waste to learn more about the City’s waste services.

You can also download the Recycle Coach app through the Apple App Store or Google Play for waste-less tips and a personalized collection schedule with optional alerts on what to put at the curb each week. 

For more information about City matters, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or visit vaughan.ca. 

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