January 18, 2012 Who says you can’t fight City Hall? Torontonians who successfully pushed back against Mayor Rob Ford’s reckless cuts are the real winners in this year’s budget process. By the hundreds, they came to all-night public meetings; they inundated city councillors with expressions of concern; they tweeted, blogged and organized and, in [...]
January 18, 2012 Mayor Rob Ford declares victory as his budget passes, despite council reversing $19-million in spending cuts. Council approved a balanced 2012 operating budget of $9.358-billion and a 2012-2021 capital budget and plan of $14.836-billion. In the budget battle between the left and right on council, in the end it was the [...]
Dear Friends and Residents, On Tuesday, January 17th, City Council approved a responsible and compassionate budget that reflected the voices of Ward 22 residents, and the majority of Torontonians. I am very pleased that Council was able to come together and save many important municipal supports for children, seniors, the less fortunate and the [...]
January 15, 2012 It doesn’t appear that CUPE Local 416’s offer of a three year wage freeze has done anything to change the labour stalemate at Toronto city hall. The union representing Toronto’s outside workers has been without a contract since the beginning of the year and offered up the wage freeze Friday. [...]
January 10, 2012 The battle over Toronto’s budget is entering the home stretch with the Ford administration holding firm on demands for a 10-per-cent cut to libraries, but finding some last-minute cash to save two school pools. Opponents of Mayor Rob Ford have branded the budget – which includes a 2.5-per-cent residential tax [...]
Dear Friends and Residents, Yesterday, the Budget Committee approved a $9.4 billion operating budget and a $2.8 billion capital budget for the City of Toronto in 2012. Their recommendations will go to Executive Committee and full Council on January 17th, 2012. While I am pleased that several important programs were saved, I am still concerned [...]
January 5, 2012 Drivers who block lanes of busy streets during rush hour could be paying a $150 fine, if council goes along with a recommendation from the public works and infrastructure committee. The committee made the recommendations yesterday morning, after hearing from the public and considering a motion from city councillors Josh Matlow and [...]
January 6, 2012 Councillor Gord Perks panned Mayor Rob Ford’s “good news” that the budget wouldn’t cut student nutrition programs or funding for 12 community centres. Ford’s office announced Thursday night that city staff recommend stopping $400,000 in cuts to grants that fund 58 student nutrition programs and $2.1 million in cuts to [...]
December 22, 2011 Get ready for a war on gridlock – and if you’re helping cause it, it’s going to cost you. Parking illegally during rush hour, stopping in a no stopping zone or blocking a bike lane is about to get a lot more expensive if councillors on the public works committee [...]
December 18, 2011 Mayor Rob Ford’s budget chief declined on Sunday to endorse Ford’s pledge to eliminate the land transfer tax. The budget chief, Councillor Mike Del Grande, is a staunch fiscal conservative and one of Ford’s most loyal allies. His comments on Councillor Josh Matlow’s Newstalk 1010 radio show underscored the difficulty [...]
