Mayor Rob Ford’s proposed 2012 budget would close some swimming and wading pools and homeless shelters, cut programs for student nutrition, AIDS prevention and arts, and reduce street sweeping.
The budget unveiled by Ford on Monday morning would also raise taxes by 2.5 per cent, hike TTC fares by 10 cents and see the ranks of city workers drop, from the complement in April, by 2,300 positions.
“We must stay the course on this budget and we will finally turn the corner and begin to breathe a bit easier,” Ford said, calling the budget a “smart” one that “slams the door on out-of-control spending.”
Cuts proposed in the budget formally presented by city manager Joe Pennachetti include:
• Closing five of the city’s 105 wading pools and two of 59 outdoor pools.
• Closing three homeless shelters — Downsview Dells, Birchwood and Bellwoods — but try to maintain the current number of beds.
• Eliminating city recreation programming at some shared-use Toronto District School Board schools and eliminate city recreation programming at some TDSB pools, for a $3 million savings.
• Cutting 58 student nutrition programs, impacting 14,049 needy children and youths; eliminate the Global AIDS initiative, cut two to three city-wide HIV/AIDS programs and three drug prevention projects.
• Cutting 138 arts programs and projects to save $1.94 million.
• Cutting community services, which support projects and services in vulnerable neighbourhoods and communities with specific focus on seniors, children and youth, by $1.72 million. That would be done by cutting 83 programs or projects and 6,000 “volunteer opportunities”.
• Closing 10 of 22 stand-alone arenas during off-peak hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Monday to Friday and eliminating 7.5 vacant positions.
• Reducing street sweeping to save $4.2 million.
• Transferring leaf collection from some Etobicoke residents to the solid waste department, saving $509,000;
• Closing visitor cafeterias in the homes for aged to save $612,000.
Cutting five heritage projects.
The 2.5 per cent property tax hike would increase the tax bill on a typical $421,177 home by about $60, pumping an extra $57 million into the budget.
Hiking TTC fares by a dime would generate $30 million.
The city’s workforce would drop by 2,338, to 53,252 employees (including 372 from police, 324 in TTC and 254 in solid waste. City Manager Joe Pennachetti said the “majority” of the jobs are vacant or will become vacant as a result of a hiring freeze, but there will be some layoffs.
Ford trumpeted that, if council approves the budget as presented, it will be the first ever for Toronto that sees city spending drop.
Gross spending would go drop by $52.1 million, to $9.355 billion.
However, according to budget documents, net spending — the part funded by property taxes, as opposed to user fees or grants from other governments — will rise by $98.3 million.
Pennachetti said the budget would draw $83 million from reserves, compared to $346 million in the 2011 budget.
“We are within $83 million of fiscal sustainability,” he said.
Ford and his allies have long been saying the council must cut $774 million to get the city on solid financial ground. However, budget documents suggest the budget pressure was actually $258 million.
Ford started speaking in the council chamber but budget chief Mike Del Grande quickly adjourned the session after several protesters yelled criticisms of Ford.
The budget debut was moved to a smaller committee room where several protesters were ejected after outbursts.
They included a woman who yelled, after Ford trumpeted his cost cutting,: “By selling people’s homes and citing people’s jobs? You’re creating a huge crisis.”
Residents will have their say on the budget during a month of public consultations about to start. The budget committee, after listening and grinding through the numbers, send its proposal to Ford’s executive committee Jan. 12.
City council will debate and have a final vote on the 2012 budget on Jan. 17, 18 and 19.
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
The budget unveiled by Ford on Monday morning would also raise taxes by 2.5 per cent, hike TTC fares by 10 cents and see the ranks of city workers drop, from the complement in April, by 2,300 positions.
“We must stay the course on this budget and we will finally turn the corner and begin to breathe a bit easier,” Ford said, calling the budget a “smart” one that “slams the door on out-of-control spending.”
Cuts proposed in the budget formally presented by city manager Joe Pennachetti include:
• Closing five of the city’s 105 wading pools and two of 59 outdoor pools.
• Closing three homeless shelters — Downsview Dells, Birchwood and Bellwoods — but try to maintain the current number of beds.
• Eliminating city recreation programming at some shared-use Toronto District School Board schools and eliminate city recreation programming at some TDSB pools, for a $3 million savings.
• Cutting 58 student nutrition programs, impacting 14,049 needy children and youths; eliminate the Global AIDS initiative, cut two to three city-wide HIV/AIDS programs and three drug prevention projects.
• Cutting 138 arts programs and projects to save $1.94 million.
• Cutting community services, which support projects and services in vulnerable neighbourhoods and communities with specific focus on seniors, children and youth, by $1.72 million. That would be done by cutting 83 programs or projects and 6,000 “volunteer opportunities”.
• Closing 10 of 22 stand-alone arenas during off-peak hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Monday to Friday and eliminating 7.5 vacant positions.
• Reducing street sweeping to save $4.2 million.
• Transferring leaf collection from some Etobicoke residents to the solid waste department, saving $509,000;
• Closing visitor cafeterias in the homes for aged to save $612,000.
The 2.5 per cent property tax hike would increase the tax bill on a typical $421,177 home by about $60, pumping an extra $57 million into the budget.
Hiking TTC fares by a dime would generate $30 million.
The city’s workforce would drop by 2,338, to 53,252 employees (including 372 from police, 324 in TTC and 254 in solid waste. City Manager Joe Pennachetti said the “majority” of the jobs are vacant or will become vacant as a result of a hiring freeze, but there will be some layoffs.
Ford trumpeted that, if council approves the budget as presented, it will be the first ever for Toronto that sees city spending drop.
Gross spending would go drop by $52.1 million, to $9.355 billion.
However, according to budget documents, net spending — the part funded by property taxes, as opposed to user fees or grants from other governments — will rise by $98.3 million.
Pennachetti said the budget would draw $83 million from reserves, compared to $346 million in the 2011 budget.
“We are within $83 million of fiscal sustainability,” he said.
Ford and his allies have long been saying the council must cut $774 million to get the city on solid financial ground. However, budget documents suggest the budget pressure was actually $258 million.
Ford started speaking in the council chamber but budget chief Mike Del Grande quickly adjourned the session after several protesters yelled criticisms of Ford.
The budget debut was moved to a smaller committee room where several protesters were ejected after outbursts.
They included a woman who yelled, after Ford trumpeted his cost cutting,: “By selling people’s homes and citing people’s jobs? You’re creating a huge crisis.”
Residents will have their say on the budget during a month of public consultations about to start. The budget committee, after listening and grinding through the numbers, send its proposal to Ford’s executive committee Jan. 12.
City council will debate and have a final vote on the 2012 budget on Jan. 17, 18 and 19.
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
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