Here at Toronto City Council for the budget meeting!
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@GraphicMatt is also liveblogging with commentary!
Cllr Perks is absent as his mother has recently passed away (there is a moment of silence for her).
Speaker Nunziata is still reading out the explanation of how the budget works. Since the provincial "strong mayor" legislation (instituted when John Tory was mayor and the province was more kindly inclined to the idea), the Mayor has much more power over the budget, and Council only has the opportunity to vote on the distribution of certain funds. She can also veto amendments for up to 10 days after the meeting.
Mayor Chow has set a 2.2% increase in residential property tax, which is basically rock bottom. This has fueled speculation that she will run again in the mayoral election this fall. Really, there are no downsides to this:
A) she runs again, opponents unable to attack her for high taxes (yes, previous years' increases were higher, but the taxpayer won't be able to remember it)
B) someone else wins the election (either because she loses or doesn't run at all): they are financially screwed and have to raise taxes more anyway, and if she runs again in the future she can attack them for either i) high taxes, ii) the social costs of austerity, or iii) both
Oh, also as per my West End Phoenix calendar, today is the birthday of the Eaton Centre!
Cllr Pasternak is taking the opportunity to inveigh against pro-Palestinian protests as "mobs on the street" and citing arrest and charge numbers that I frankly would double-check, alleging the police are "hiding behind the Charter" ("protecting the Charter" is the reply from police). No, this is not on topic.
Cllr Saxe stands up to ask the City Manager, "Why are we raising taxes again this year?" Most of the seats in my section are taken up by staff, and I hear a tired sotto voce "Oh my God…" from somewhere. The problem with "playing dumb" poorly is that if you don't pull it off, you come off as "actually dumb".
Chat, is anyone confused about why the City needs to raise taxes every year? I can explain if people really need it.
Saxe next asks a question on everyone's mind: given the massive police corruption scandal just uncovered, are any changes to the police budget warranted? This is mostly rhetorical so I don't pay attention to the answer. (The police budget is getting their requested increase and that is unlikely to change unless the mayor personally desires it, which given aforesaid upcoming election she probably doesn't)
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Wow, we actually got a mention of the property tax deferral/cancellation program for seniors with disabilities before someone complained that tax increases will make seniors with disabilities homeless. (Once they're homeless, fuck 'em)
Budget Chief Shelley Carroll obliquely defends the 7% police budget increase, saying it's largely "built-in" to phase in the costs of the latest collective bargaining agreement.
Bored so paging through Briefing Notes again. Ones I recommend reading/looking through further:
- #6: State of good repair backlog (PDF)
- #9: 2026 service levels in the prepared budget (PDF): a good place to find less-advertised cuts
- #21: Cycling network implementation (PDF) - note that "cycle tracks" are the only category that many people would really count as "bike lanes"
Absolute fucking useless briefing note: #13: Budget reductions and offsets (PDF), which just refers you to the individual division notes. "Details of Efficiencies identified in the 2026 budget are available in the individual Division and Agency budget notes." if you're going to make me read through every single budget note why are you even doing a briefing note aaaghhhhghgh
We just had a rapid-fire volley of questions from Cllr Bradford, who is no doubt preparing for another mayoral run and is setting himself up as the Fiscal Conservative Rival.
The police chief (currently answering Cllr Thompson's questions about crime trends) has a very sore throat, no doubt due to all the press conferences and meetings he has been having to have lately.
Oh, a class of young students has entered to watch the proceedings!
no context: "I can speak specifically to Taylor Swift…"
Nunziata tries and fails to rein in Cllr Colle who enjoys using the phrase "big fat feds".
I didn't have time for breakfast and with about an hour to lunch I am getting hungry and distracted.
If the meeting wraps up on time (by 6), I could go see Iron Lung
Wow, I did not expect Cllr Crisanti to bring up a question about something actually new and relevant (TTC fare capping)
Oh wow, we're done with questions, now to speeches. Mayor Chow is up first, with a Relatable™ anecdote about the price of groceries. Blah blah affordability.
In front of me, a guy from TPS seems to be having Copilot explain tax laws to him. (There are bulleted lists and emoji in headings.) What could possibly go wrong?
Chow says this budget is about "supporting small businesses…young couples…Mom not having to worry about the kids going hungry at school."
Holyday: "Would you agree this budget seems to draw on reserves more than we have in the past?"
Chow replies that the City has, through "prudent fiscal management", been putting aside money over the past few years, and that is why they can afford to draw on reserves.
Holyday, sounding legitimately concerned (he isn't): What about when they're all drawn down?
An actual good quip from Holyday: "So we're going to be running on fumes, from the gas tax."
Bradford: "Will you commit, if you are re-elected, to [limit the property tax increase in] next year's budget to the rate of inflation?"
Chow somewhat obliquely turns to how much the City still has in its reserves and is contributing, and that now is the time to blah blah blah.
Bradford asks again. Chow gleefully points out that within the last two years Bradford moved to take out $72 million from reserves.
Bradford argues that his reasons were valid, but Chow is "trying to buy Torontonians' votes."
Chow points out that Bradford's support for drawing $42 million was to lower property tax rates by 1%.
We have another class! Grades 5 and 6 from the Africentric Alternative School in Downsview. They are getting a much more interesting show.
Nunziata accidentally refers to Burnside as Bradford. To be fair, they are both tall bald white guys in dark blue suits. Bradford's head is shinier.
Burnside argues that adding snow removal could add a "3% tax increase" and if so, would Chow consider it. They get a bit into the weeds—well, snowbanks. Chow says the $130 million estimate is just one model and, for example, there's a cheaper $24 million option.