Here at Toronto City Council for the budget meeting!
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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.
Nunziata: "And hopefully, we'll never get snow again."
Me, gazing into the future where Toronto's climate is more like Washington, DC's, with all the complications and implied knock-on effects that come with: "Uhhhhhhhhh…"
In response to longtime Toronto Public Library Board member Cllr Ainslie, Chow does a little victory-lap about the success of increased library hours.
Ainslie asks about the federal government coming to the table. Chow says she gave Carney an envelope for Chinese New Year saying that they should build affordable housing fast, because horses are fast, because it's the Year of the Horse. She hopes that "big decisions" are soon to come and that they'll be able to take advantage of the full construction season.
