Toronto Council meets today! It’s their very special meeting to consider the 2020 capital and operating budgets. The stream will be starting here soon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKqPW1Z6emc
For a primer on this year’s budget, this @jpags piece is the best in the business. Look at these charts! https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2020/02/13/heres-how-toronto-plans-to-spend-billions-of-your-dollars-this-year.html
I gave my take on the budget in yesterday’s @TorontoStar, pointing to how Mayor John Tory is making big bets on funding from Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau to support critical plans and programs. It could be kinda risky to count on those guys. Just saying. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/02/18/toronto-budget-makes-big-bet-on-improved-relationships-with-doug-ford-and-justin-trudeau.html
And if you missed it, I spoke to John Tory at some length about the budget for yesterday’s issue of @cityhallwatcher. I think this quote here really does a good job of summarizing the mayor’s politics — not too hot, not too cold. The goldilocks strategy https://graphicmatt.substack.com/p/john-tory-speaks-before-councils
This budget process has been far less acrimonious than most (so far anyway) so I’m expecting it to be pretty short. But we’ll get some amendments. I’m hoping for another vote related to bringing back the vehicle registration tax. It’s a fun tradition.
I thought it’d be fun to look up the lengths of all Council budget meetings I’ve covered. It wasn’t! But here’s the list anyway: 2011: 15.2 hours 2012: 8.1 hours 2013: 10.45 hours 2014: 18.1 hours 2015: 17.5 hours 2016: 9.9 hours 2017: 11.9 hours 2018: 10.1 hours 2019: 8.6 hours
So the recent record for shortest budget meeting is 2012, which was the budget where a majority of councillors plotted a swift revolt against Mayor Rob Ford and added $20 million in spending to the budget, then went to the bar. I think this year could be shorter. But we’ll see!
There are two big agenda items on this agenda: the property tax rates, and the operating/capital spending plan. As expected, Tory has decided Council will debate the tax rates first. This is strategic, because once the tax rates are locked in it’s harder to add more spending
Councillor Gord Perks starts us off by asking staff about the repair backlogs for Transportation, Parks, Forestry & Rec, the Library, and the TTC. They’re all going up over next decade, staff confirm.
Councillor Paula Fletcher asks about the city’s programs for deferring or cancelling property tax increases, available to seniors and low-income disabled residents. We learn about 6,500 people access the program — 95% seniors.
Councillor Mike Layton asks an intriguing question: could Toronto put a tax on vacant commercial units? City CFO isn’t sure if the city has that power, but will check.
Councillor Gord Perks congratulates Mayor John Tory on having “the courage and the foresight and the wisdom” to increase property taxes through the City Building Fund. A different tone than past years.
But Perks makes the point that other governments aren’t likely to just fork over big piles of cash to pay for the rest of the city’s needs. He says the next step is a Toronto sales tax.
Councillor Mike Colle speaks out against the idea of bringing back the vehicle registration tax: “People do not like extra fees that are not compatible with their lifestyle.”
I wonder how a reintroduced Vehicle Registration Tax would poll if it was named something like the Vision Zero Safety Fee and went to infrastructure. Would still be best if it could be GTA-wide.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza has moved for a 2021 report on changing longstanding Council policy that has seen commercial property taxes rise slower than residential rates.
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam wants to put together a working group to look at coming MPAC property reassessments, which will likely lead to big property tax bill increases in high-density areas.
Members of council sure like using the word “quantum.” It’s the new “fulsome.”
Councillor Anthony Perruzza’s motion for a 2021 report on changing policy re: commercial property tax increases CARRIES 15-9.
Oh wait. Councillor Michael Ford wants a re-do on that one.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza’s motion for a report on changing policy re: commercial property tax increases CARRIES again, 15-9.
The rest of Perruzza’s motion asking for additional 2021 tax ratio reports, etc carries on a voice vote. As does Wong-Tam’s MPAC working group motion.
Council livestream is showing a vertical line dividing Councillor Gord Perks, representing the duality of man.
With the tax rates set, the largest chunk of city revenue is locked in. Council will now debate spending plans. Don’t expect major changes, but there’s some room to tweak by reapplying reserve funds and surpluses. We’ll also get a bunch of report requests.
After a handful of staff questions and a nice presentation to honour retiring Director of Parks Richard Ubbens, Council breaks for lunch. Back at 2 p.m.
Hmm, Councillor James Pasternak left the chamber between about 11:32 a.m. and 11:57 a.m., according to livestream timestamps, meaning he was absent for the vote to adopt the 2020 property tax rates, which includes the City Building Fund levy. https://x.com/jpags/status/1230187713619472385
Pasternak was ALSO absent for the December vote to approve the City Building Fund increase, but was present for subsequent votes at that meeting. https://x.com/GraphicMatt/status/1207020358550904832
Hell of a coincidence. Some real bad luck to keep missing votes on this important issue that may be top of mind for some voters in 2022.
Pasternak was also absent for the original Executive Committee vote on the City Building Levy. He’s three for three.
Council is back for their afternoon session. Have to wrap up in less than five hours or so if they want to beat the 2012 meeting for shortest in recent history. Will they do it?! Feel the excitement. Streaming live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foYhG6xOxVs
Budget Chief Gary Crawford moves to add $187K to the budget to pay for extra security at Yonge-Dundas Square. Paid for with reserve funds.
The word from Pasternak re: missing votes on the City Building Levy. He’s abstaining because he told voters he wouldn’t support “any tax hikes above the rate of inflation.” https://x.com/jpags/status/1230215120908963840
Councillor Brad Bradford moves that TTC develop a “consistent approach” for calculating future fare increases for monthly passes so changes are provided evenly. This is in response to post-secondary passes getting a big hike with latest increase, which takes effect March 1.
Councillor Wong-Tam moves to give $161K to help the Cabbagetown Youth Centre stay open.
Wong-Tam also moves to increase the capital budget for St. Lawrence neighbourhood streetscaping improvements by $900K.
It’s her turn this year. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam moves for a report on bringing back the $60 Vehicle Registration Tax.
Full text of Councillor Wong-Tam’s motion for a report on bringing back the Vehicle Registration Tax.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza moves to increase the budget by $858K to increase library hours at eight branches to allow for operation of Youth Hubs.
“I got some of my best sleeps at the York Woods Library,” explains Perruzza, as part of an extending ode to the wonderfulness of libraries. “That doesn’t mean when I was growing up that the local pool halls didn’t call to me…” This speech is going in some surprising directions.
Councillor Josh Matlow moves to reverse the planned $5.70 TTC fare increase for youth and post-secondary monthly Presto passes.
Matlow’s motion to stop the youth/post-secondary pass fare increases uses $2.576 million in cash from a reserve account used to buy city vehicles.
Matlow explains that he’s been told it takes EIGHT WEEKS for Presto to process and implement fare changes, which is why his motion to reverse the fare increase for youth/post-sec passes doesn’t kick in until May 1.
Why does it take eight weeks to implement fare increases into the Presto system, as councillors have been told? Man, it feels like we learn something new and astounding about the Presto tech every day.
Councillor James Pasternak moves to request the police assign some of the 200 new officers they’re getting this year to traffic enforcement.
Councillor Gord Perks moves to increase the budget by $750K to kickstart the Housing Commissioner office, which is coming soon.
Councillor Paula Fletcher moves for a report on the drop in traffic tickets issued over the last decade.
Now on the big screen in the Council chamber: Councillor Shelley Carroll is showing a clip from her episode of @tvo’s Political Blind Date series.
Councillor Frances Nunziata: “If we want revenue, why not have a City of Toronto lottery?” She says the revenue from tickets could go to parks and libraries.
Councillor Mike Layton moves for a report on implementing a commercial parking levy — a tax charged for every parking space.
Layton also moves for a report on completing the Residential School Survivors Legacy Structure planned for Nathan Phillips Square.
Councillor Ana Bailao moves to increase the budget by $1.07 million to fund the Eviction Prevention program.
Councillor Ana Bailao moves to have the coming report on a Toronto vacant home tax on the Executive Committee agenda for their April 17, 2020 meeting.
Bailao also has a motion that’s a softer version of Perks’ Housing Commissioner motion — his ties a specific dollar figure to it, while hers asks for funding requirements to be in the report.
Mayor John Tory is the last speaker. He moves for a report on the city’s child care strategy to come after the province and feds release their budgets.
Councillor Gary Crawford’s motion to add some cash for Yonge-Dundas security carries on a voice vote.
Councillor Wong-Tam’s motion to give $161K in emergency funding to the Cabbagetown Youth Centre CARRIES 25-0.
Councillor Perruzza’s motion to add $858K to the budget to add hours at eight library branches for youth hubs CARRIES 24-1.
Councillor Matlow’s motion to reallocate $2.576 million and request the TTC use the funds to reverse the monthly pass fare increase for youth/post-secondary students FAILS 10-15.
Councillor Perks’ motion to add $750K to the budget to launch the Housing Commissioner office later this year FAILS 8-17.
Councillor Bailao’s motion to add $1.07 million to the budget for eviction prevention CARRIES on a voice vote.
Bailao’s motion to have the report on a vacant home tax go to the April exec committee meeting also carries on a voice vote.
Councillor Brad Bradford’s motion for the TTC to review their fare policy so increases are more even-handed also carries on a voice vote.
Wong-Tam’s motion for a report on bringing back the Vehicle Registration Tax FAILS 8-17.
Councillor Fletcher’s motion for a report on responding to the rise in reno-victions CARRIES 24-1.
Layton’s motion for a report on completing the Residential Schools Survivors Legacy Structure CARRIES 25-0.
Layton’s motion for a report on implementing a commercial parking levy CARRIES 15-10. (!!!)
Bailao’s motion for a report on funding requirements for establishing the Housing Commissioner office CARRIES 23-2.
Tory’s motion for a report on the city’s child care strategy to come after the prov/fed budgets CARRIES 25-0.
The budget as it pertains to Council’s commitment to fund 20% of childcare growth costs CARRIES 24-1.
Mayor John Tory announces Councillor Jaye Robinson, off for cancer treatment, is in great spirits and is “fighting the good fight.”
And that’s the ballgame. Unofficial time of meeting: 5.7 hours. https://x.com/GraphicMatt/status/1230141279180402689
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