First balanced budget since amalgamation protects services and invests in priorities
This year, for the first time since amalgamation, the City of Toronto’s staff recommended operating budget was introduced as balanced.
The 2008 recommended Operating Budget protects existing services and contains important new investments in the City’s highest priorities.
The recommended Operating Budget includes a recommended property tax increase of 3.75% and a recommended non-residential property tax increase of 1.25%.
The City’s total $8.2 billion recommended Operating Budget leverages partnerships with other governments to deliver a total of $53.4 million in new investment to support City priorities. This total new investment is made possible through an investment by the City of $12.4 million. Highlights include:
Providing improved public transit through the Ridership Growth Strategy which will see 100 new buses on the road to relieve peak-period congestion, enhanced off-peak service and investments in the cleanliness and appearance of subway stations
Meeting our commitment to reduce the waste that goes to landfill through investments that ensure the City reaches the 70% diversion target by 2010 and expansion of the Green Bin program
Delivering on the City’s plan to fight climate change through initiatives such as Live Green Toronto
Keeping Toronto Clean and Beautiful through increased neighbourhood beautification project funding, clean-up of orphan spaces and improvement of public spaces through new street furniture
Delivering on the vision for a new waterfront – 2008 will see the opening of new waterfront parkland and facilities.
Strengthening one of Toronto’s key cultural events by expanding Nuit Blanche to more locations.
Investing in communities and keeping a safe city safer by providing funding to the Community Partnership Investment Program that keeps pace with inflation and increase the support given to the very effective Streets-to-Homes initiative to help people living on the street find and keep permanent housing.
Staying the course on improving Toronto’s business climate through investment in an international centre for Financial Services Training and the Financial Services.
Information Technology Innovation Initiative and establish green economic sector development initiatives in targeted areas.
To keep up with Toronto’s rapid growth and maintain healthy and vibrant neighbourhoods the City will add additional planners to support community and transportation planning, heritage preservation and support good quality urban design.
Toronto City Manager Shirley Hoy said, “The Toronto Public Service continues to perform well as the City compares very favourably to other service providers. Cost containment measures in 2007, which were carried over into budget planning for 2008, transitional provincial funding for TTC operating costs and the start of some uploading of provincial costs and the new taxes has all combined to assist the City address what are our biggest financial challenges.”
Toronto’s Chief Financial Officer and Deputy City Manager, Joe Pennachetti said, “The upload of the costs for social services is required to ensure Toronto continues to use all the revenues we directly collect to fund municipal services and we will continue to focus the discussion with the province to ensure this happens.”
The City continues to work together with other Ontario municipalities and the province to resolve basic funding problems in provincially mandated cost-shared programs that are not adequately funded. In addition, Toronto and all of Canada’s municipalities continue to seek a source of revenue that grows when the economy grows – the equivalent of one cent of the GST (http://www.onecentnow.ca) and the establishment of a national strategy to support public transit in Canada. These measures are needed if Toronto is to balance its budget in the future.
Budget Committee will begin its review of the Operating Budget on February 4 and will hear deputations from the public on February 5. At the conclusion of the review by Budget Committee the Operating Budget goes to the City’s Executive Committee on March 25 and then to Toronto City Council at its meeting scheduled for March 31 and April 1.
The public can learn more about city services and how they are paid for and find out how to make a deputation or comment on the City’s budget by visiting the City’s website at http://www.toronto.ca Public deputations will take place at Budget Committee on February 5, 2007. To engage residents and businesses in the budget process, the City has prepared a dedicated budget website and a public outreach poster campaign that will appear in free City transit shelter and street bins.
The City has both an operating and capital budget.
The day-to-day operation of City services is paid for from the City’s operating budget – the money dedicated to salaries and operating expenses such as rent, fuel, electricity, equipment, etc. The City, like everyone else, must pay the increased costs of fuel and electricity and other services when these costs rise. The delivery of City services such as police, fire, emergency medical services, TTC, waste collection and recycling, libraries, parks and recreation, child care and many others are paid for through the City’s Operating Budget.
The 2008 Capital Budget of $1.610 billion was approved by Council last December and is part of an $8.355 billion Five-Year Capital Plan (2008-2012). The City’s capital budget pays for construction and maintenance of roads, the purchase of transit vehicles, the building of major facilities, and the purchase of major equipment. The budget funds the maintenance and construction of City assets and infrastructure, which are needed to support service to residents and businesses.
Today, Toronto City Council approved the conceptual framework for the recommended approach to revitalize Union Station. City staff will now begin further consultations, negotiations and feasibility studies to ensure the approach is structurally feasible and economically viable before reporting back to Council in September 2008 for authority to begin construction of new retail space.
The plan will see the City of Toronto retaining ownership of Union Station, excavating below the station to create a new retail space - which will be leased out to a private sector partner - and dedicating a level to GO Transit and VIA Rail customers. City Council also approved an implementation plan for the recommended approach.
By approving the reports today, Council has given staff the approval to: fully research the recommended approach to ensure it is viable
work with partners so they agree to the details
work with the federal government to release the $25 million in funding
begin searching for a head lessee to oversee the new retail level.
Staff will report back in September 2008 to the Government Management Committee on a recommended construction plan. Staff will also report in September 2008 to the Executive Committee on the outcome of the negotiations with GO Transit and VIA Rail, the head lessee selection process, and the funding and governance negotiations with the other orders of government.
Visit www.toronto.ca/union_station for full details on the revitalization plan.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. In the past three years, Toronto has won more than 70 awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto’s government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.
Dear Neighbour,
Welcome to my website.
As your Toronto Councillor, it is my hope that you will find the information useful, and it will be a good information resource for what is happening in Ward 13 and in our city.
Please e-mail or contact my office if you need assistance with any municipal matters. My e-mail address is councillor_Saundercook@toronto.ca or my community office at (416) 338-5165.
Thank you for visiting this site and please keep in touch!
Sincerely,
Councillor Bill Saundercook
Ward 13, City of Toronto
