Dear residents, Please join me and my colleagues representing all levels of government at the first "St. Paul's Summit" this Sunday, February 20th. Together with the St. Paul's community we will be talking about key issues affecting our country, province, city, school boards and neighbourhoods. I am honoured to be joining federal MP, Dr. Carolyn [...]
by Tomasz Bugajski / February 14, 2011 In October 2010, Josh Matlow was elected to replace veteran councillor Michael Walker in Ward 22. Matlow, a 35 year-old former school board trustee, comes to city council to represent one of Toronto’s wealthiest and most populous wards. It is also one of the few wards where overall [...]
Josh Matlow City Hall Diary This panel of buttons is found on the council chambers desks of Toronto councillors and is used to ask questions and cast votes. PHOTO: JOSH MATLOW/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned as a new city councillor is how to push the right button. I’m certainly [...]
It should come as no surprise the issue of councillor compensation in this city keeps surfacing. That's because the issue has not been addressed in any meaningful way. Thus, we witness needless rhetoric, grandstanding and the trumpeting of curious points of comparison in an attempt to justify one number or another. Enough. Determining fair compensation [...]
Councillors have voted to freeze their salaries. On Tuesday, they rejected 39-3 a 2.6-per cent cost of living adjustment that would have hiked their salary to about $102,000. Right now they make about $99,000. Councillor Josh Matlow voted in favour of the freeze and says he agrees that there is merit in the symbolism of being restrained about their [...]
Josh Matlow, City Hall Diary Two months into a new job as a city councillor, life feels like a perpetual motion machine.At City Hall, there’s a busy schedule of committee meetings that go on for hours. Behind the scenes, councillors and their staff visit each others’ offices daily to seek support for motions, discuss issues [...]
Budget Chief Councillor Mike Del Grande has tabled a motion for this week's council meeting asking those on council to reject their scheduled cost-of-living raise, which is said to be 2.46 per cent for 2011. And as Toronto council prepares for the vote, one councillor is preparing a motion of his own to make salary decisions fair. The answer to the [...]
Vague predictions by Mayor Rob Ford’s ex-chief of staff about subways have left more questions than answers. But Ford said he “can’t comment” on what Nick Kouvalis meant when he spoke last Friday. “The subway deal is .. close,” Kouvalis said, adding “Transit City is alive and well and it’s going to be buried underground.” [...]
Some disputed TTC’s ridership counts, but 41 routes face service reductions By Kris Scheuer The TTC voted late last night to cut off-peak service on 41 bus routes despite pleas from residents. In January the commission proposed reducing service on 48 routes, but delayed a vote in order to get feedback from riders. The revised [...]
by David Nickle The Toronto Transit Commission is going ahead with cuts to 41 bus routes, in a move that’s expected to save $4 million but brought out riders from across the city pleading with commissioners to reconsider the plan. The commission spent Wednesday, Feb. 2, afternoon and evening listening to about 90 people – [...]
