Carroll thanks Cllr Cheng for properly referring to a "reserve draw" rather than calling it "raiding" the reserve funds. She asks CFO Conforti if there are any reserve funds being used for something that isn't their intended purpose.
I just gotta say that if there were, it would be an incredibly stupid idea to actually say it out loud
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.)
