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Following the presentation of the City of Toronto's Preliminary Operating Budget on December 15th, the City has now announced a series of public consultations to allow residents an opportunity to share their concerns and priorities regarding municipal funding. Ahead of next week's public presentations, a copy of the initial Budget presentation is available via the City's website, giving Torontonians a chance to familiarize themselves with the revenue structure and funding priorities for the coming year.
Over the course of the next week, a series of 12 Budget subcommittee meetings will be held throughout the city. Any residents interested in sharing their input at any one of the the meetings can register for a speakers' slot by contacting the City at buc@toronto.ca, or by calling 416-392-466 before noon on Monday, January 11th. In advance of the meetings, an informative Town Hall session about user fees will also be held at City Hall (Committee Room 2) on January 11th at 6 PM. A full schedule of meetings is listed below:
City Hall – Committee Room 1, 100 Queen St. W.
January 12 at 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Etobicoke Civic Centre – Council Chamber, 399 The West Mall
January 12 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Scarborough Civic Centre – Council Chamber, 150 Borough Dr.
January 13 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
North York Civic Centre – Council Chamber, 5100 Yonge St.
January 13 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
East York Civic Centre – Council Chamber, 850 Coxwell Ave.
January 14 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
York Civic Centre – Council Chamber, 2700 Eglinton Ave. W.
January 14 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The $2.2 Billion proposed Budget provides crucial funding for the City's services and facilities, with the majority of funds directed towards maintaining and expanding TTC transit service, with both the Scarborough and Spadina subway extensions representing significant portions of the total Budget. The chart below illustrates the total funding sources (right) and expenditures (left) currently planned, with the dollar values representing millions:
As the critical determinant of City services, the Municipal Budget typically proves a contentious issue. In terms of urban infrastructure and housing issues alone, this year's preliminary Budget has been critiqued for a lack of stronger funding for maintenance of Toronto Community Housing Corporation properties, as well as the construction of new affordable housing units, and Waterfront revitalization initiatives. A newsletter published by Ward 20 Councillor Joe Cressy provides a more in-depth overview of unfunded and underfunded initiatives, which include a wealth of important soft services.
While the funding shortfalls faced are alarming to many, the City's Budget is strained by a relative lack of revenue sources, with property taxes continuing to provide for the majority of municipal revenue (below). Although the City of Toronto Act, enacted in 2006, allows for an expansion of taxation—and, indeed, the Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT) now makes up a portion of the revenue—the City's diversification of funding sources has remained somewhat constrained.
More information about the preliminary Budget and the upcoming public meetings is available on the City's website here. Want to share your thoughts on the preliminary Budget? Feel free to leave a comment in the space below this page.
