It’s a B-Day on V-Day. Toronto Council meets today for a special Valentine’s budget meeting. We’re expecting changes to Mayor Chow’s budget, including more suburban snow plowing and more police spending. I will post things. It’s streaming live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmuT...
The big news is that Mayor Olivia Chow has indicated she’ll support a motion to put $12.6 million into the police budget, matching the board request. This is a pretty significant climbdown for the mayor, who had seemed pretty resolute. www.thestar.com/news/gta/may...
This battle was always more symbolic than substantive. $12.6 million is less than 1% of police spending. It’s less than 0.1% of city spending. It’s a level of money you typically find in a variance report. Public safety will not hinge on this amount.
That Chow says she’ll reverse course is a really good demonstration of the power of the police in this town. Chow rolled Doug Ford. She out-negotiated Justin Trudeau. But couldn’t beat the cops.
There’s a precedent set with this too. I can’t recall a city agency or department ever launching such a huge public campaign to get a budget request. That it worked should have other departments wondering if they could do the same.
Anyway, time for a budget meeting. Two notes: - Council will NOT approve the budget. They’ll make amendments, with a majority vote. They’re veto-able, but Chow has said she won’t use veto. - Tax rates WILL be approved by Council.
A milestone for serious budget wonks: for the first time in 13 years, the mayor has set the budget as her first key matter, leaving the matter of confirming the tax rate until AFTER the budget has been dealt with.
Colle asks for update on effect of Bill 23, provincial development charge change estimated to have a hit of $2.3 billion to city capital plans. CFO says province had promised to replace the revenue, then launched audit process, then cancelled audit. Current status? Mystery.
Councillor Fletcher asks about reserve funds. City CFO Stephen Conforti says it’s true the city has billions in reserve funds, but they’re generally allocated toward projects and using that money would be a bad idea.
Fletcher asks if there’s enough money in this budget to respond to a recent wave of dog attacks. Municipal Licensing & Standards Director Carleton Grant says, well, no. He needs more staff.
First protest chant of this meeting rings out. “Cops Get More / We Stay Poor / Chow Tory / Same Old Story.” Just a single chanter, making for a brief interruption.
FLASHBACK: Here’s how last year’s budget meeting was going at about this point. This one’s off to a considerably better start.
There’s another brief protest chant, with the addition of what I think was a shout of “Spider-Man is not anti-semitic”? Damn what did I miss.
Another single “Chow Tory / Same Old Story” protestor stands up, calling to defund and abolish the police. She gets forcefully carried out by security. “You could have given a deputation but you didn’t,” says Councillor Paula Fletcher.
Nunziata asks the Police Chief how their budget ask will improve response times. Demkiw says hiring for supervisory positions will help a lot. (Police have really tied themselves to the response time metric. If they get their money and response times don’t improve, what then?)
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie previews the coming police motion. It’ll be moved by Councillor Amber Morley and there’s hope the money will come from other governments, but the city has the ability to cover the $12.6 million in the event no extra support comes.
Councillor James Pasternak is asking if it’s fair to say the police are “just scraping by” with their current funding level. Rep from TPS basically agrees, saying growth in number of officers just allows them to keep up with population growth.
One thing to note here: council can set the police budget, but because of the rule that city hall can’t direct the police, council can’t direct money within the budget. So they can’t say “This money must go to recruitment” or traffic enforcement or whatever.
Myers asks about equity analysis of the proposed cut to windrow snow clearing, noting that a lot of seniors rely on it. City Manager says their equity analysis suggested the cut would actually make things more equitable, because lots of seniors already don’t get the service.
Councillor Mantas asks what it would cost to do windrow snow clearing city-wide, and not just in the suburbs. Transportation Director Barbara Grey says street design in urban areas makes it impossible to do with a plow. Would probably have to pay people to go out with shovels.
Here’s the upcoming Councillor Amber Morley motion to restore the police board’s budget request. Council is hoping the cost will be covered by province and federal goverment.
Councillor Paul Ainslie will be moving to restore windrow snow clearing in the suburbs. It’s a $4.1 million cost paid for by the $8 million in cash Olivia Chow made available for “emergent budget priorities.”
Get ready to churn some butter. Councillor Ainslie will also be introducing a motion soon that’d give an extra $200K to Black Creek Pioneer Village.
Councillor Brad Bradford asks Chow about the provincial/federal funding she’s expecting to get for the extra police budget money. Chow says discussions have been ongoing for a while, says some of the funds could come from new funds announced to deal with auto theft. TBD.
That’s it for the question period. Councillor Olivia Chow rises to wish everybody a Happy Valentine’s Day. “Our budget delivers on a city that is there for people when times are tough,” she says. “This budget is how we get our city back on track to being that more caring city.”
Mayor Chow says she’ll support several budget amendments today, including support for trees, windrow clearing, the arts, the pioneer village and the police.
A “Cops Get More / We Stay Poor / Chow Tory / Same Old Story” chant picks up again as Chow speaks. “Where’s your spine?!” asks one person. “Why are you giving more money to the cops?” “Chow, is this your Toronto too?” protestor yells as they are dragged out.
Councillor Amber Morley moves to provide the police board budget request — an extra $12.6 million.
Morley notes she’s a police board member and has “seen the operational need for this money at this time.” Says the extra police budget money will be partially or fully covered by provincial and/or federal support for “Toronto’s unique policing costs.”
Councillor Paul Ainslie officially introduces his budget motions: $4.1 million for windrow clearing and $200K for the pioneer village.
Later in this meeting, Councillor Amber Morley will introduce this motion, designed to create more transparency and accountability around police spending. It’ll ask the cops for a “multi-year staffing plan.”
Councillor Alejandra Bravo moves to add $750K to the budget for bylaw enforcement for things like noise complaints and dog attacks.
Bravo says she can’t support the police budget increase, noting that bylaw officers and automated machines like photo radar are now handling things previously handled by cops, and the public expects to see offsets in the police budget.
Council breaks for lunch. Back at 2 p.m. to wrap this budget up.
Council is back. Councillor Mike Colle would like to display something on the big screen. Councillor Lily Cheng is doing tech support for him over at the overhead projector. It doesn’t go well. “Oh, someone’s hand is there. Okay, forget it. Thanks for trying,” says Colle.
They eventually get it working. It’s this pie chart, which looks a bit like Pac Man, showing that municipal government collects just 9% of all the taxes and fees you pay.
Councillor Dianne Saxe has two motions. She wants an extra $970K for tree planting, pruning and watering, and $200K more for the Energy & Climate department.
Asked about the tree funding, Saxe says she wants the city to “stop wasting money planting trees to die in the searing summer heat.” She wants to increase the survival of street trees, and also avoid situations where branches fall off and hurt people.
Councillor Lily Cheng moves to spend another $400K on social services designed to prevent violence and improve community safety. She also congratulates staff on committing to use “lean six sigma” practices to try to make things more efficient.
Councillor Brad Bradford has two motions. He wants to spend another $2 million on the Toronto Arts Council, and $900K more for local arts organizations.
Bradford makes a point of saying this is the biggest budget in Toronto’s history and that he thinks it’s ridiculous council even considered cutting windrow clearing and not meeting the police board budget request, but he does not really offer strong opposition to the Chow plan.
Bradford’s art funding motions don’t seem to have the blessing of budget chief Shelley Carroll. She’s got a motion coming up that would devote an extra $800K in budget money to an “Action Plan for Toronto’s Culture Sector.” Bradford says he doesn’t want to wait for that plan.
Councillor Vince Crisanti moves to reduce the property tax increase by another percentage point, to 8.5% total for the residential rate. It’d be funded by another $42.2 million draw from reserve funds.
Crisanti says he’s heard from people who simply can’t afford the 9.5% property tax increase. Reducing it to 8.5% would save about $35 a year for the average household. “It’s Valentine’s Day,” concludes Crisanti. “Let’s show some love for our taxpayers.”
Councillor Jamaal Myers has a motion to fund a $519K project to make some tennis-related improvements at a park in his ward.
Councillor Chris Moise notes Regent Park had zero gun deaths in 2023 — the first time in its history, he says. He credits both social programs and the Toronto Police neighbourhood officer program for making that happen.
Councillor Michael Thompson uses an extended football analogy to explain his support for this budget. “We need to figure out how we place it. We’re going to punt it? No! We’re going to place kick it. And the mayor’s a place kicker. Thank you, place kicker, for what you’ve done!”
Councillor Stephen Holyday has several motions, including one to make children pay fares for using the TTC.
Councillor Stephen Holyday, always a fan of props, has constructed a literal house of cards to demonstrate how he sees this budget. (It’s held together with scotch tape, he admits.)
Here are all six of Holyday’s motions. 1. Reduce property taxes by 0.092% 2. Raise TTC fares by 15 cents 3. Cut bike plan by $10 million 4. Cut MURA rental housing program by $10 million 5. Don’t rename Dundas West station 6. Make kids pay fares for using TTC.
TTC chair Jamaal Myers: Did you actually speak to anyone at TTC about these motions? Holyday: Yes. Myers: Who? Holyday: Staff. Myers: Names? Holyday: What does that matter? Myers: Of course it matters!
Nunziata rules both of Holyday’s motions about TTC fares out of order — raising them for everybody and implementing fares for kids under 12. She says he should have brought them to TTC Board. She also rules Dundas Station motion out of order, as Council recently voted on that.
Councillor Perks advises colleagues to vote against Bradford’s arts motion, arguing it just throws “a one-time lump of money out there” with no plan for making funding sustainable. He also tells councillors to reject Crisanti’s property tax reduction motion.
Perks: “As to Councillor Holyday’s motions. I want to speak to them metaphorically. As he was talking about them, the house of cards in front of him collapsed. And I think that’s all you need to know about what Councillor Holyday has moved.”
Councillor Perks says he won’t support giving the police the extra $12.6 million. “We have a governance issue at the police services board,” he says. He can’t support giving them extra money until that issue is fixed.
Budget Chief Councillor Shelley Carroll is the last speaker. She moves a trio of motions. - $800K for action plan for culture sector - $500K for action plan for economy - $80K for local arts orgs.
Time to vote. Councillor Amber Morley’s motion to increase the Toronto police budget by a further $12.6 million CARRIES 21-5.
Councillor Ainslie’s motion to keep windrow snow clearing in the suburbs, at a cost of $4.1 million this year, CARRIES 26-0.
Councillor Ainslie’s motion to give another $200K to Black Creek Pioneer Village CARRIES 23-3.
Councillor Bravo’s motion to spend an extra $750K to hire more bylaw officers to handle things like noise complaints and animal concerns CARRIES 25-1.
Councillor Dianne Saxe’s motion to spend another $970K on tree planting and pruning CARRIES 25-1.
Saxe’s motion to increase the Energy & Climate department budget by another $200K to enhance environmental programs CARRIES 24-2.
Councillor Lily Cheng’s motion to spend another $400K on social programs to address community safety and violence prevention CARRIES 25-1.
Councillor Brad Bradford’s motion to give another $2 million to the Toronto Arts Council FAILS 7-19.
Councillor Vince Crisanti’s motion to take $42.2 million from reserves to cut property tax increase by another percentage point FAILS 6-20.
Councillor Myers’ motion to spend $520K on a participatory budgeting process for the Milliken neighbourhood and Muirlands Park CARRIES 26-0.
Holyday’s motion to reduce the property tax increase by 0.092% is ruled redundant. His motion to cut $10 million from the cycling plan FAILS 2-24.
Holyday’s motion to reallocate money from a CreateTO dividend to replenishing reserves, instead of funding things like the MURA program, is also ruled redundant because motions have already been passed that use those funds. Holyday isn’t happy but lets it go.
Carroll’s motion to spend an extra $800K to implement an action plan for the cultural sector CARRIES 25-1.
Carroll’s motion to spend $500K to implement an action plan for the economy CARRIES 25-1.
Carroll’s motion to spend $80K to give an inflationary increase to local arts orgs CARRIES 25-1.
And that’ll do it. There’s no vote to approve Mayor Olivia Chow’s budget. It just passes, like a ship in the night, onward to an uncertain future that may include some icebergs and such. We’ll see!
One last thing: Council has to approve the taxes and fees needed to pay for the budget. Here’s what the proposed property tax rate increases look like. Notably, multi-residential (charged to apartment buildings) is usually half of residential, but Chow pushed further reduction.
Councillor Gord Perks asks what would happen if council voted against these tax rates, after already approving the budget. “It would create obvious challenges,” says the CFO, noting that the city would not have enough money to implement its budget. Chaos mode engaged, basically
On the tax rate item, Councillor Pasternak has a bunch of report requests, looking for info things like police funding grant programs, the property tax relief programs, the cannabis tax, mental heath funds, and support for Black community farmers.
Councillor Amber Morley moves what she’s calling the second part of her police budget motion, requesting the cops provide a “multi-year staffing plan” with “clear goals and timelines.”
Councillor Chris Moise moves to request the police actually implement the 151 recommendations in the “Missing and Missed” missing person report and the 81 directives in the police reform initiative.
Councillor Ainslie moves to request the mayor keep windrow clearing in future budgets, and to look at more ways for the city to help Black Creek Pioneer Village.
Councillor Brad Bradford moves to fund an additional reduction to the small business property tax rate increase, paid for by a corresponding increase to the commercial property tax rate paid by bigger businesses.
Bradford says he’s going to vote against the tax rates for 2024. He says people have been telling him that “it’s all about affordability” and he can’t support handing people a big property tax bill right now. He again calls for another Core Service Review.
Councillor Bravo moves to request the federal and provincial government do more to support childcare in Toronto. She also wants to explore expanding the special “Creative Co-Location Facilities” property tax subclass to places like indie art galleries and performance spaces.
Councillor Burnside, the former TTC chair, moves for the TTC to look for more savings in next year’s budget, including implementing a “modest fare increase” and implementing auditor recommendations re: fare evasion.
“How many times a week do you take the TTC?” TTC Chair Jamaal Myers asks Burnside. “Are you for REAL?” says Burnside, very unhappy with the question. Myers wants Burnside to define what a “modest” fare increase would be. Burnside won’t do it and says he’s just making a request
Councillor Mike Colle urges council not to try to craft property tax policy on the floor of council. He says things like Bradford’s small business reduction should go through a staff report process, and not just an on-the-fly vote.
Councillor Perks goes at Bradford for saying he’s going to vote against the tax rates. “You can’t say ‘I want to provide cuts to small business [taxes], and increase the police budget, but, by the way, I’m not going to collect any money to pay for any of that.’”
Councillor Jamaal Myers moves to have staff look at making deals with condos in his wards that have tennis courts to use their facilities for public access.
Councillor Lily Cheng has a motion about the hypothetical North York subway station with a name that social media algorithms wrongly think is pretty dirty. She moves to request provincial and federal funding to make the unfunded station happen.
Councillor Holyday has four motions, including a motion to bring back mechanical leaf collection. Cross that one off your bingo card.
Holyday’s other motions on the tax rate item: - Set a target for the tax stabilization reserve fund - Close unfunded shelter beds through attrition - Create a reserve fund to give taxpayers a rebate on their bills
Time to vote. Councillor Bradford’s motion to reduce the proposed small business property tax increase — paid for with a corresponding increase to the commercial tax rate — FAILS 4-22.
Councillor Moise’s motion to request the police implement the recommendations of the missing persons report and the police reform initiative CARRIES 26-0.
Councillor Ainslie's motion to request Chow keep windrow clearing in future budgets CARRIES 24-2.
Councillor Bravo’s motion to look at including indie art galleries and performance spaces in the creative co-location property tax class CARRIES 25-1.
Councillor Burnside’s motion requesting the TTC consider increasing fares in next year’s budget FAILS 10-16.
Councillor Burnside’s motion to look at other TTC budget savings, including implementing AG recommendations re: fare evasion CARRIES 21-5.
Councillor Holyday’s motion to close shelter beds if provincial and/or federal money is not received FAILS 3-23.
Holyday’s motion to set a minimum target for the balance in the taxpayer stabilization reserve, equal to 2% of the gross budget, FAILS 8-18.
Holyday’s motion for a report on establishing a reserve fund that would give a rebate on property taxes if agencies post a dividend FAILS 7-19.
Councillor Holyday’s motion to request Mayor Olivia Chow bring back mechanical leaf collection in future budgets FAILS 11-15. Pretty close!
Toronto’s tax rates for 2024, including 9.5% total residential increase, are APPROVED by City Council, 18-8. Mayor Olivia Chow’s first budget is funded.
City Manager Paul Johnson gets up to thank City CFO Stephen Conforti and the finance team who got this budget to the finish line. Nunziata adjourns. Another budget in the books.
Thanks for reading this thread! If you found it useful and/or weirdly entertaining, you can support my work with a subscription to City Hall Watcher — my newsletter about all things municipal. It keeps me going. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/subscribe