A key ally of Mayor Rob Ford is breaking ranks and saying his administration should take library closures off the table.
Councillor Karen Stintz, the TTC chair, also called on Ford to allay public concerns over consultant KPMG's host of suggested cuts by telling Torontonians where exactly his administration is "going."
Stintz wrote an open letter to her constituents espousing the value of the three branches in Ward 16, Eglinton-Lawrence.
"My kids have also benefited from the services of the libraries in the community. They each have library cards and love the library,” wrote Stintz, a former member of the Toronto Public Library board.
"I value the Toronto Public Library and can assure my constituents that these are not the type of cuts I support."
Stintz told reporters Wednesday she had received more than 300 emails and calls from constituents upset about consultant KPMG's suggestion branches could be closed or other library services reduced.
Ford has said that all of KPMG's suggestions are on the table, while his brother Councillor Doug Ford poked a hornet's nest by suggesting Toronto has too many libraries and he would close one in his Etobicoke ward "in a heartbeat."
Stintz told reporters all city departments and agencies, including the library and TTC, must cut 10 per cent of costs in line with a directive from city manager Joe Pennachetti.
But the savings can come from efficiencies, she added.
"I don't believe having a conversation about closing branches is the way that we can achieve that objective."
Asked what other KPMG suggestions should be taken off the table, Stintz cited eliminating the TTC's night bus service and the cancellation of 2,000 daycare subsidies for low-income parents.
Stintz called on the mayor to tell Torontonians upset about the host of proposed cuts where his administration is headed.
"The feedback I'm getting from my residents is they've heard a lot about where the potential cuts are, and where the efficiencies might be found, but they really want a sense from the administration of where we're going."
Stintz's remarks come less a week after the Star reported she is at loggerheads with the Fords over their desire to fire TTC general manager Gary Webster and replace him with a manager of their choosing.
Stintz is the second councillor, after James Pasternak (Ward 10, York Centre) who usually votes with Ford to balk at closing libraries.
Meanwhile, Doug Ford retreated Wednesday from his public spat with celebrated author Margaret Atwood over her Twitter posts urging people to fight any library cuts.
On Tuesday, the councillor said of Atwood: "I don't even know her. If she walked by me, I wouldn't have a clue who she is."
On Wednesday, however, Doug Ford told Global News that, "Everyone knows who Margaret Atwood is but if she were to come up to 98 per cent of the people, they wouldn't know who she was.
"But I think she's a great writer and I look forward to her input. And saying that, we have to look for $774 million and we have to look at efficiencies right across the board."
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
Councillor Karen Stintz, the TTC chair, also called on Ford to allay public concerns over consultant KPMG's host of suggested cuts by telling Torontonians where exactly his administration is "going."
Stintz wrote an open letter to her constituents espousing the value of the three branches in Ward 16, Eglinton-Lawrence.
"My kids have also benefited from the services of the libraries in the community. They each have library cards and love the library,” wrote Stintz, a former member of the Toronto Public Library board.
"I value the Toronto Public Library and can assure my constituents that these are not the type of cuts I support."
Stintz told reporters Wednesday she had received more than 300 emails and calls from constituents upset about consultant KPMG's suggestion branches could be closed or other library services reduced.
Ford has said that all of KPMG's suggestions are on the table, while his brother Councillor Doug Ford poked a hornet's nest by suggesting Toronto has too many libraries and he would close one in his Etobicoke ward "in a heartbeat."
Stintz told reporters all city departments and agencies, including the library and TTC, must cut 10 per cent of costs in line with a directive from city manager Joe Pennachetti.
But the savings can come from efficiencies, she added.
"I don't believe having a conversation about closing branches is the way that we can achieve that objective."
Asked what other KPMG suggestions should be taken off the table, Stintz cited eliminating the TTC's night bus service and the cancellation of 2,000 daycare subsidies for low-income parents.
Stintz called on the mayor to tell Torontonians upset about the host of proposed cuts where his administration is headed.
"The feedback I'm getting from my residents is they've heard a lot about where the potential cuts are, and where the efficiencies might be found, but they really want a sense from the administration of where we're going."
Stintz's remarks come less a week after the Star reported she is at loggerheads with the Fords over their desire to fire TTC general manager Gary Webster and replace him with a manager of their choosing.
Stintz is the second councillor, after James Pasternak (Ward 10, York Centre) who usually votes with Ford to balk at closing libraries.
Meanwhile, Doug Ford retreated Wednesday from his public spat with celebrated author Margaret Atwood over her Twitter posts urging people to fight any library cuts.
On Tuesday, the councillor said of Atwood: "I don't even know her. If she walked by me, I wouldn't have a clue who she is."
On Wednesday, however, Doug Ford told Global News that, "Everyone knows who Margaret Atwood is but if she were to come up to 98 per cent of the people, they wouldn't know who she was.
"But I think she's a great writer and I look forward to her input. And saying that, we have to look for $774 million and we have to look at efficiencies right across the board."
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
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