Cllr Fletcher gives us a very short overview of the City Building Fund levy which is on top of residential property taxes. (It was introduced as the Scarborough subway levy under Rob Ford, and then John Tory added in housing/other large infra stuff & it became a "City Building Fund".) I think we should probably rename it the "Mayoral Legacy Fund" and let every mayor tack on a few per cent for their pet project.
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And we're live! Budget chief Shelley Carroll welcomes everyone to the newly upgraded Committee Room 1, "which we're calling 'the bridge'. I have Lt. Sulu to my left, and Deanna Troi…" She also reminds councillors that the acoustics have been much improved so they should have their private conversations elsewhere.
There are various opportunities for public feedback coming up, both virtually and in person, on Jan. 14/15 and 20/21: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/budget-finances/city-budget/how-to-get-involved-in-the-budget/
The Budget Committee then votes on it on the 23rd and it goes to Council on Feb. 10.
City Manager Paul Johnson jokes that, based on his hairline, he wants his Star Trek analogue to be Jean-Luc Picard. Here's the presentation (PDF).
The main number: a 2.2% residential property tax increase. Quick refresher on how property taxes work in Toronto (note: Substack link.)
2.2% is relatively meagre, basically the bare minimum, so it will be interesting to dig into the details and see what they're cutting/delaying or where they're getting the money.
Lmao the special yellow bar for "unanticipated budget pressures".
Unanticipated pressures: $268M
- Provincial change in Automated Speed Enforcement ($99M)
- Declining transit ridership ($39M)
- Added refugee and asylum pressure – at time of submission, prior to federal agreement ($109M)
- Extended paramedics hiring plan ($7M)
The City Manager notes that the number of refugees/asylum claimants in the shelters system has plummeted (I'm assuming based on federal law changes) and that the City has reached an agreement with the federal government on funding for refugee/asylum claimant shelters (drastically cut last year).
He also touts the City's "progress" in kicking out people forced to shelter in parks, which, that sounds like an expenditure and not a budget win, but ok
CHART! CHART! CHART! CHART!
(This chart is in the budget presentation every year.)
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