Sell off the Toronto Zoo and the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. Go for single police officer patrols, cancel public health funding for AIDS prevention, and student nutrition. Close libraries.That is just a taste of a long list of possible cuts for Mayor Rob Ford’s powerful executive committee to chew on next week, when it delves into suggestions by KPMG consultants on how to trim the budgets of the city’s various agencies, boards and commissions. The highly anticipated, and savings rich, report was released Thursday morning.
Other cutbacks to consider:
• Sell parking lots; sell or lease TTC parking lots;
• reduce or eliminate the Community Partnership and Investment Program, which issues grants to major cultural institutions like the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, public health’s AIDS and drug prevention initiatives, the heritage office;
• divest itself of Exhibition Place; make the Canadian National Exhibition Association an independent organization;
• contract out more of the TTC’s Wheel Trans program;
• eliminate a “last resort” dental health program for people who cannot get care elsewhere;
• consolidate Toronto Archives with Library Services;
• and sell or consolidate the operations of three city run theatres: the Sony Centre, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts and the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
On Toronto Police, consultants note that the city has the highest police to population ratio in Ontario, with 202 officers for every 100,000 people. That is below the Montreal ratio of 246 per 100,000, and also less than other major U.S. cities such as Boston (335), Chicago (460) and Philadelphia (432). It suggests the city consider a “business process based approach” to make front line policing more efficient.
The city could aim for cost reductions by negotiating one officer patrols in the next round of collective bargaining, but consultants warn to “expect resistance” from the police union and community groups. While suggesting the city consider trimming its workforce with a hiring freeze, or through early retirement incentives, it says that reducing the uniformed complement “could adversely impact crime rates.”
The city could also reduce the police budget by taking parking enforcement, bylaw enforcement and towing management off their hands, as well as taking over the lifeguard program. Cutting the school crossing guard program would yield a low amount of savings, the report says.
The nearly $1-billion police budget represents about 10% of the city budget. It is surpassed only by the Toronto Transit Commission, which has a gross budget of $1.5-billion.
Consultants suggest there’s substantial savings to be gleaned by contracting out some TTC service. It points to successful approaches in York Region, which has contracts with four private bus providers, including the one that runs the VIVA rapid bus service.
But KPMG also says the implementing such a reorganization would mean savings in Toronto would not be realized until after 2014.
It also suggests cancelling the overnight Blue Night bus network, or make it a premium service by raising fares. TTC chair Karen Stintz said earlier this week that cancelling Blue Night would be a last resort for the agency.
The TTC could also contract out more of the Wheel-Trans operation, or make the eligibility criteria stricter in order to lower demand.
Toronto spends $3.8-million on student nutrition programs in 465 schools, $840,000 on 38 drug prevention programs and other harm reduction initiatives, and $1.6-million on 42 AIDS prevention programs and education programs. KPMG acknowledged that eliminating the services would impact vulnerable people.
KPMG also suggests wrapping up the work of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, which issues grants and programs promoting clean air and climate solutions. Closing it down would not result in a net savings to the city’s operating budget, but the capital fund of $23-million would be available for other purposes, KPMG writes.
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Source: National Post
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