Mayor Rob Ford will probably have a difficult time persuading a majority of councillors to vote for the budget cuts suggested Monday, even though he believes they are “just scraping the surface.”Some of the centrists who hold the balance of power on council balked Monday at city manager Joe Pennachetti’s recommendations to proceed with many of the cuts suggested earlier by consultants from KPMG. If all of the recommendations were accepted, which appears unlikely, the city would save about $100 million in 2012 — not nearly enough to balance the budget.
Pennachetti’s report to Ford’s executive committee recommended eliminating late-night TTC bus service and 2,000 subsidized child care spaces; reducing city grants; lowering standards for snow-clearing; curtailing environmental programs; selling or closing Riverdale Farm; and selling, leasing or otherwise ceasing to operate the Toronto Zoo.
Pennachetti also suggested that council “consider” perhaps KPMG’s most controversial suggestion: library closures and reductions to library hours.
Centrist Mary-Margaret McMahon said she would have a hard time voting to axe “quality of life” programs. “I’m not prepared to cut things that make our city great,” she said.