City Council — September 2011

And now for The Phantom Menace of #TOCouncil meetings.

Isn't one of the possible reason for high OT levels that some departments — Hello, Planning — are way understaffed? http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/26/the-numbers-are-shocking

Oh man, Vincent Crisanti is speaking! Look at that. It's like Ward 1 actually exists or something.

.@mary_margaret32 has brought special brownies for a special meeting. #TOCouncil

This subdued Rob Ford, speaking about the city's structural deficit, sure is at odds with the guy raving about the gravy train last year.

Sure, $774 million is the real number, in the same sense that $821 million was the real number in 2010. It's not insurmountable.

It's unlikely that the cuts on the table today would even cover the revenue lost by killing the vehicle registration tax. #TOCouncil

Ford has once again, with this speech, committed himself to finding almost $1 billion in program cuts and efficiencies.

Ford says "we don't have the exact number" on cost savings associated with these cuts. How the hell could anyone vote to support them, then?

This is the most fired up I've seen @JoshMatlow in the chamber. He seems to be totally on the outs with the mayor's team.

Voted to overrule Nunziata: Berardinetti, Lee, Lindsay Luby, McMahon, plus the rest of the 'left.' http://twitpic.com/6qymbu

I hope this chart doesn't count as my 15 minutes of fame. Also I am not City Staff -- that's true!

Ford sometimes makes scary comments that imply he doesn't understand the difference between revenue and expenditures.

Ford points to the front page of The Sun, calls overtime "gravy." I guess he supports more hiring?

Stats are irrelevant!

Ford says this year's budget gap is the largest ever. Again, no. See 2010: http://twitpic.com/6qyqtw

Ford is probably right that the province won't come on board for TTC operating, but it would be nice if he'd ASK them.

Mere minutes removed from saying we shouldn't blame other governments for our fiscal situation, Ford blames the provincial NDP.

Rob Ford claims he gave the police a raise despite claims "it couldn't be done." I can't recall anyone ever claiming that.

Ford is more on-the-ropes at this moment than he's ever been since taking office. Brutal.

Ford says @Janet_Davis would be more successful if she voted with him more often. "Right is right and left is wrong." #TOCouncil

At this point, it doesn't seem clear that the Core Service Review process will produce more program savings than past cost-cutting exercises

Mammoliti should try putting on fake glasses and a moustache and putting his name on the list for a second round of questions.

Sure, let's look into bike licensing. The staff report will once again say that there's no cost-effective way to do it. #TOCouncil

It's a neat trick for a populist mayor to appeal to popularity when his popularity is in question. #TOCouncil

Verbal tics: "As you know"; "Said it couldn't be done"; "Absolutely right"; "I call 'em"

.@DanielMurton's facebook comment re: EMS response is read by @MariaAugimeri on the floor of Council.

Sorry, I'm catching up after being away from things a bit: we're looking at ~$28m - $36m in cuts for 2012 today?

#TOCouncil was fun this morning with all the questions, but the big story was council overruling the speaker for @JoshMatlow.

Deamalgamation is a nice dream, but I'd sooner support Ford's campaign promise to give more decision-making powers to Community Councils.

Via @Infiltr8r, a Mayor of York-era Frances Nunziata declares "a city has to be more than just a business." http://bit.ly/oifRIb

Certain councillors seem dedicated to turning a $12 billion corporation into a please-support-us charity.

Councillor Mark Grimes seems to have made a tactical error as he is now speaking. He asks if overtime is due to understaffing. Cheers!

The gallery is packed at the moment. You'd think council were debating a bike lane or something.

A newly-inspired Councillor Lindsay Luby grills the city manager on rationale behind privatizing TPA, the Zoo, etc. #TOCouncil

For less than the price of a cup of coffee every day, you can help support the day-to-day operations of North America's fourth largest city.

Pennachetti stands up in the face of @DenzilMW and quietly supports @iamdavidmiller's Tower Renewal program. #TOCouncil

They're searching all bags coming into #TOCouncil now. First time I've seen that, but admittedly I haven't been here that often.

.@shelleycarroll gets Pennachetti to admit annual inflationary property tax increases are a good and sensible thing. #tocouncil

Geez, staff admit the proposed reduction in street sweeping would see sweeping go from once a week to once every 2-4 weeks.

You let the city get THAT dirty and you open the door to some long-haired dude brandishing a broom winning the next election.

General observation: Anyone who bothers saying "Through you, Madame Speaker" at #TOCouncil is a bit of a nerd.

Um, did Council just appoint the President of Ezra Levant's Ethical Oil to the board at the Toronto Atmospheric Fund? CC @avelshi

Vaughan points at report that shows LTT revenues are 32% higher than expected; wonders how council can vote to close unspecified museums.

Del Grande takes forever to ultimately come to the point that property taxes don't really rise with inflation. I think. #tocouncil

Someone from the gallery yells "Time!" the moment Del Grande's speaking time expires. #tocouncil

"Where's the gravy?" is Raymond Cho's catchphrase. #tocouncil

Mammoliti rises to dismiss the 500 deputants who came out to both Exec meetings. Good contribution. #tocouncil

Lindsay Luby makes a motion exempting the TPA from privatization and preserving the public realm improvement program. She's on fire.

Lindsay Luby talks about the reaction to this review process in her ward. Those people are seemingly not fans of staying the course.

Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby: a good use of skin. #tocouncil

.@JoshMatlow moves road tolls on the DVP and Gardiner. That'll be a fun vote. #tocouncil

Mammoliti says an "overwhelming amount" oppose road tolls. Mayor's side is saying DVP/Gardiner tolls will push cars to side streets.

Del Grande rises to make his standard point: that we shouldn't talk about anything that isn't massive and immediate program cuts. #tocouncil

Vaughan has a piggy bank, says road tolls make piggy happy. (It is not Del Grande's original piggy bank, but a reasonable facsimile.)

.@CouncillorMB brings up the idea of a second expressway next to the Gardiner. Right.

Noted Ontario Liberal Cesar Palacio moves a motion asking for tomorrow's debate organizers to include a question about transit funding.

For some reason, it feels natural that this day of #tocouncil would end with a debate on highway expansion.

Commissioning a bunch of reports on new highway construction: not gravy, for some reason. #tocouncil

We'll fund these studies with the new adopt-a-staffer charity program.

In perspective, though: the deputy mayor is on record as supporting road tolls. One step at a time. #tocouncil

Doug Holyday has gone completely off script. Shiner, Minnan-Wong & Mammoliti are trying to bring him back. #tocouncil

Council enthusiastically sings Happy Birthday to Anthony Perruzza. Then slogs through a couple of bars for Earl Provost.

If the gap really is $774 million, you'd think councillors would be more concerned that we're only looking at $30 million in program cuts.

Would penalties for breaking Transit City contracts be paid out of operating or capital? #TOCouncil

For reference: Toronto's Property Tax Increase Cancellation Program http://www.toronto.ca/taxes/property_tax/tax_relief.htm#cancel

Di Giorgio, continuing to surprise me, floats the idea of changing legislation to allow Toronto to run an operating deficit.

My new favourite councillor, @JayeRobinson, proposes letting Heritage Toronto run city museums instead of closing them. #TOCouncil

.@johnparker26 makes reference to David Copperfield, I think alluding to the fact that this whole debate is predicated on a grand illusion.

Geez. Nunziata is overruled AGAIN 17-18. This is going to become a problem. #TOCouncil

Nunziata's ruling probably would have been upheld if more councillors were in the chamber: http://twitpic.com/6rg6mv

In Libertarian Toronto, every house is its own municipality and every man a mayor.

Mammoliti yells "You're hiding behind farms! You're hiding behind farms! Seniors will lose their homes in this city." Good debate!

Someone really should mention the mayor's campaign promise to give more power to community councils. It's relevant!

Let's go back to these borders. And street names. They got things right back then. http://studiosixthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/historical_map_of_toronto.jpg

It's not like the previous governance model under Metro was perfect. Let's find something new.

That said, Fletcher's point that Toronto should have the right to deamalgamate, just as every other municipality in Ontario does, is fine.

The province has not been forthcoming as of yet with new money for municipalities, so let's just stop trying!

Idea for private-sector Fort York: world's biggest log flume ride.

Would be ideal for all if #TOCouncil could get these votes out of the way before the debate tonight.

Nunziata hits rewind on a day of mostly more sensible debate, and says the problem is that council has been all "spend spend spend."

If there were hundreds of millions of dollars of frivolous spending, you'd think it'd be a lot easier to find.

Nunziata: "The reality is, what [lefties] are trying to do is protect union jobs." #TOCouncil

Heckler, on Nunziata: "The more she talks, the better we sound." "You can talk all day long if you want to, Frances."

Adam Vaughan quotes Charles Dickens on Toronto: "Well-built jail."

David Shiner has hand-drawn graphs. Looks like pencil crayons? #TOCouncil

Charts indicate that the city took on more prov-funded services during the Miller years and that Lastman left a huge infrastructure deficit.

He would characterize that as "out of control spending" though.

Del Grande refers to his shirt as "nice." No point of order is made.

I don't think the Budget Chief should toss around phrases like "point of faith."

Chair Challenge 3: The Revenge! Nunziata is defeated for the third time in two days. #TOCouncil

Here's the voting card for the most recent chair challenge: http://twitpic.com/6risrv

Public Realm program is saved! Luby and Pasternak voted to save it, amongst others.

It is insane how many votes the mayor is losing. Unprecedented.

I have no idea who made the call not to refer these to budget committee, but it was clearly a mistake.

Lee's motion to give extra authority to the City manager passes huge. Fords on the losing side. Huh. #TOCouncil

CORRECTION: Lee's motion to *not* give extra authority to the City manager passes huge. Fords on the losing side. Huh. #TOCouncil

Bailão's motion to save Community Environment Days passes 24-21. Is this real life? #TOCouncil

Pasternak's motion to maybe put a new university at Yonge & Sheppard fails 20-25. Fords in favour.

Motion to keep the current goal for tree canopy fails 21-24. Aw.

Fragedakis' motion to save the Christmas bureau fails 20-25. No more Christmas.

Augimeri's motion to save the Hardship Fund fails 22-23. Berardinetti is the notable 'no' vote.

Robinson's motion to give the museums to Heritage Toronto passes 40-45. Well, that was a team effort.

Worth noting that nothing is specifically getting cut today. There's still a ways to go in this budget process. #TOCouncil

Mihevc's motion to present options re: revenue at budget launch passes 37-8. There are, like, eight die hard Fordists left on #TOCouncil.

Mihevc's motion to look at 5% across-the-board cuts (vs. the 10% Ford wants) passes 25-20.

I estimate @hamutaldotan's typing speed at 160 wpm.

Luby's motion not to consider privatization of the Parking Authority passes 25-20. @jm_mcgrath is mad!

Here we go: Matlow's motion on tolls. This will be an illustrative vote.

Tolls for 905ers on Gardiner/DVP fails 19-26. Still a ways to go.

Holyday's motion to make the DVDP bigger and toll the new parts fails 14-31. Doug Ford in favour!

Votes on Matlow's road toll motion: http://twitpic.com/6rj8bw

Fletcher's deamalgamation motion fails 16-29. Worth a shot, I guess.

Well, this was a fun exercise. Interesting to see how much the remaining recommendations for cuts add up to.

Man, @towhey, who was the staffer who suggested not referring and just ramming through a vote on this stuff?

"Where's Josh Matlow?!" someone yells. "He's probably being interviewed," says Nunziata. "Some councillors really live for that." Laughter!

I have no idea what council is voting on right now. Neither do most councillors. Nunziata is not being clear. A mess.

Nunziata and the City Clerk are caught on mic talking about what a mess this is.

It might not be a wild partisan statement to say that council's speaker, overruled three times in two days, is not very good at this job.

Could someone check the men's room for a "Josh Matlow"?

Matlow's back. Still a bit confusing what's being voted on — but almost all of the remaining votes should pass easily.

Glenn DeBaeremaker is the only guy to vote against ending the police paid duty program.

Just in time for the release of the hit Hollywood movie "We Bought a Zoo," Council votes 29-16 to look at selling our zoo.

My idea for the zoo involves prehistoric mosquitos encased in tree sap and some genetic experiments. Literally nothing could go wrong.

Plan to make Yonge-Dundas Square more self-sufficient passes 45-0. They should look at advertising as a revenue source.

24-21 on final vote to increase timeline on tree canopy goals. Trees don't employ anyone.

Save Riverdale Farm item passes unanimously. Item that will allow you to donate to the city also passes 43-2.

I wonder if I can get a tax receipt if I donate to the city.

And that's the ballgame. Hopefully they get all the motions and votes posted online soon. Big scorecard implications.

Yeah, seriously, @torontoist — that was damn impressive tweeting.

Carroll moves to defer consideration of new user fee policy to next meeting. Which I agree with, because the debate starts soon.

Nothing makes a politician seem older than a reference to balancing their chequebook. Who still has a chequebook?

Council stats: The mayor lost seven votes today, as per his "cheat sheet." #TOCouncil

Only five councillors voted with him on all whipped items: Ainslie, his brother, Holyday, Kelly & Nunziata. #TOCouncil

Percentages: Pasternak/Robinson — 57%; Berardinetti — 43%; Lee — 29%; Colle/Matlow/Luby — 0%. (On the whipped items) #TOCouncil

If you include all the votes the mayor was on the losing side of, he lost 11. But cheat sheet marked a bunch of these as 'open.' (No whip.)

Just for my Twitter pals: A City Council Scorecard just on the whipped votes at today's budget debate: http://fordfortoronto.mattelliott.ca/misc/draft-budget-debate-hr.png

Late night #TOCouncil data: see who voted against the mayor's cheat sheet today. http://fordfortoronto.mattelliott.ca/2011/09/27/scorecard-core-service-review/