While the bulk of the talk about Toronto's new budget has been about the hefty property tax hike on the way for homeowners, there are some other very interesting tidbits in the documents currently being reviewed at City Hall.

One of these points, though small as far as the overall numbers are concerned, is particularly relevant given the winter storm forecasted for the city this weekend, as it has to do with snow removal (a surprisingly contentious topic in the city).

In particular, it is about the heaps of snow that plows inadvertently leave at the base of people's driveways, leaving residents to dig themselves out.

As City Hall Watcher creator Matt Elliott writes in his latest newsletter, these piles are called windrows, and in some neighbourhoods, those contracted to clear the white stuff from City streets actually plow certain areas twice in order to rid citizens of this burden.

But, this second sweep by plows is on the chopping block if the new budget passes as is, which would impact some 260,000 homes that currently benefit from the service, formally termed the Winter Windrow Clearing Program.

According to the budget doc, the program currently only applies to certain parts of North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke, and is not a service the City is obligated to offer — and cutting it could save some $16 million per year starting in 2024/2025.

Of course, the cancellation is not at all set in stone, and some — including Elliott — don't realistically see it happening.

But if it does, the City can expect even more complaints than usual about their perceived shoddy (though expensive) snow removal efforts in winters to come.