Silence on endorsing new “revenue tools” to fund a bold attack on costly gridlock. Silence, despite calls for action from business, labour, academics and urban activists across the Greater Toronto Area. Silence when the city’s own staff urges action.
It’s hard to tell if the motivation for this inaction is folly or political cowardice. Regardless, Toronto risks being left voiceless through a misguided move by the city’s executive committee this week. And it’s up to a responsible majority of councillors to intervene before time runs out.
The executive panel, chaired by Ford, voted 6-4 on Tuesday to defer a report from the city manager calling for region-wide development charges, a gasoline tax, a sales tax and a levy on commercial parking spaces to pay for a desperately needed expansion of public transit. The report also urged acceptance of highway tolls and a vehicle registration tax after significant transit work had begun.
All these revenue tools, and more, are currently being evaluated by Metrolinx, the agency in charge of co-ordinating transit and transportation across the GTA and Hamilton. It is urging municipalities to express their preferences before May 27, when the Metrolinx board issues its final recommendations on moving forward.
It’s no coincidence that Toronto’s executive committee deferred the issue to its May 28 meeting — one day after Metrolinx has weighed in and far too late to affect the process, especially since city council must also be consulted. If allowed to stand, this delay guarantees that Toronto will have no say on a pressing matter affecting virtually every resident of the city.
It’s pointless to hope Metrolinx might postpone its verdict to give Toronto an opportunity to speak. The agency is bound under provincial legislation to report by June 1. But there is one chance to make the city’s wishes known. And it involves having a majority of councillors seize control of the issue from Ford and his narrow-minded executive.
There is a movement afoot to do just that. As reported by the Star’s Tess Kalinowski and David Rider, Councillor Adam Vaughan is petitioning colleagues on council to hold a special meeting to discuss the city manager’s report. Indeed, a special council session might not even be necessary. Debate on new “revenue tools” could be added to council’s May 7-8 meeting agenda if two-thirds of city council agrees.
Either way, it’s important for this discussion to take place. Canada’s sixth largest government mustn’t fall silent on a compelling public issue simply because a dim mayor, and five equally short-sighted members of his executive, want to deny Toronto its voice.
Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: Editorial
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