Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[Northern Light]

Not everyone reads each and every thread.

So you want to post cycling info in every single thread? No.

That's why we have threads, to sort material by subject.

Sometimes a cross-post is warranted, but it is forum etiquette to note that, and it is generally done for subjects without a clear dedicated thread.

 

[txlseries4]

Heading to Executive Committee and being reported in the news is Mayor Chow's proposal for a luxury home property tax increase:

"This motion raises the cost to buy Luxury Homes incrementally - between 0.9% and 1.1% on the graduated rates listed below - to shift the cost of funding our city towards those who can afford it the most."

Value of Consideration	Revised Rate
Over $3,000,000 and up to $4,000,000	4.40 percent
Over $4,000,000 and up to $5,000,000	5.45 percent
Over $5,000,000 and up to $10,000,000	6.50 percent
Over $10,000,000 and up to $20,000,000	7.55 percent
Over $20,000,000	8.60 percent

 

[Northern Light]

Mulling through reports I hadn't yet caught up with...... I found the report listing the size of various obligatory reserve funds at the City.

This is the appendix from the below has been extracted: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-260558.pdf

Did you blink and miss it?

The Parkland Acquisition Reserve Fund is sitting at over 950 Million Dollars! Now, to be clear, a chunk of that is spoken for, how much was not listed in the report. But this balance is up by several hundred million in the last few years.

Would someone like to take on asking their Councillor or the Mayor how much of that is uncommitted and available to spend; ideally, broken down by Ward?

I think we need to break open this particular piggy bank, and finish some long planned projects.

***

Now below that, you'll see 700M in unspent S.37 funds......... I would like to know how much of that is uncommitted too; again, ideally by ward.

Between the two funds, if they follow historic pattern, between 1/3 to 2/3 i not allocated to a project yet.

That suggests a solid 1/2 billion to play with, and maybe more.

***

That's not the only money I found that caught my attention.

Where is the 5.7M in Habourfont Parkland Reserve supposed to be going? Hmmmm, and there a bunch of footbridges awaiting funding dollars that that sum could pay for? @DSCToronto

 

[DSCToronto]

Mulling through reports I hadn't yet caught up with...... I found the report listing the size of various obligatory reserve funds at the City.

This is the appendix from the below has been extracted: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-260558.pdf

View attachment 703263

Did you blink and miss it?

The Parkland Acquisition Reserve Fund is sitting at over 950 Million Dollars! Now, to be clear, a chunk of that is spoken for, how much was not listed in the report. But this balance is up by several hundred million in the last few years.

Would someone like to take on asking their Councillor or the Mayor how much of that is uncommitted and available to spend; ideally, broken down by Ward?

I think we need to break open this particular piggy bank, and finish some long planned projects.

***

Now below that, you'll see 700M in unspent S.37 funds......... I would like to know how much of that is uncommitted too; again, ideally by ward.

Between the two funds, if they follow historic pattern, between 1/3 to 2/3 i not allocated to a project yet.

That suggests a solid 1/2 billion to play with, and maybe more.

***

That's not the only money I found that caught my attention.

View attachment 703264

View attachment 703265
Where is the 5.7M in Habourfont Parkland Reserve supposed to be going? Hmmmm, and there a bunch of footbridges awaiting funding dollars that that sum could pay for? @DSCToronto

View attachment 703266

I always worry seeing these large balances, just the kind of money that is likely to attract Mr Ford - like flies to shit! Might be worth asking Ausma Malik about the Waterfront Parkland Reserve???

 

[Northern Light]

I always worry seeing these large balances, just the kind of money that is likely to attract Mr Ford - like flies to shit! Might be worth asking Ausma Malik about the Waterfront Parkland Reserve???

Definitely. Maybe its allocated, but I think we'd all like to know where if that's the case; if its not, there are no shortage of ways to spend it well.

 

[afransen]

The value of these reserve funds seems to be losing buying power due to inflation and increasing land values...

 

[Towered]

Mulling through reports I hadn't yet caught up with...... I found the report listing the size of various obligatory reserve funds at the City.

This is the appendix from the below has been extracted: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-260558.pdf

View attachment 703263

Did you blink and miss it?

The Parkland Acquisition Reserve Fund is sitting at over 950 Million Dollars! Now, to be clear, a chunk of that is spoken for, how much was not listed in the report. But this balance is up by several hundred million in the last few years.

Would someone like to take on asking their Councillor or the Mayor how much of that is uncommitted and available to spend; ideally, broken down by Ward?

I think we need to break open this particular piggy bank, and finish some long planned projects.

***

Now below that, you'll see 700M in unspent S.37 funds......... I would like to know how much of that is uncommitted too; again, ideally by ward.

Between the two funds, if they follow historic pattern, between 1/3 to 2/3 i not allocated to a project yet.

That suggests a solid 1/2 billion to play with, and maybe more.

***

That's not the only money I found that caught my attention.

View attachment 703264

View attachment 703265
Where is the 5.7M in Habourfont Parkland Reserve supposed to be going? Hmmmm, and there a bunch of footbridges awaiting funding dollars that that sum could pay for? @DSCToronto

View attachment 703266

You can bet if I were Parks boss, Id be getting that substantial sum allocated lickity split!

 

[Northern Light]

The value of these reserve funds seems to be losing buying power due to inflation and increasing land values...

The increase is from 650M 2-3 years ago, so I wouldn't say that.

Certainly, I encouraged the City to be an active buyer of land before we did the massive as-of-right upzoning in the last 2 years, and my suggestion went unheeded.

That did initially spike land values. Right now, however, due to the condo market crash, values are actually lower than they were on most properties, even small as-of-right beneficiaries.

But that won't last.

Especially in hot or potentially hot areas like downtown.

The City should 100% be on a buying spree, both willing buyer/seller and by expropriation, where appropriate, to achieve ideally sized and shaped parks.

 

[Amare]

The City should 100% be on a buying spree, both willing buyer/seller and by expropriation, where appropriate, to achieve ideally sized and shaped parks.

C'mon we both know that makes far too much sense!

Which is why the city likely wont be doing this, they'll probably wait until the market rebounds and prices become inflated again before initiating moves to purchase plots.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

The increase is from 650M 2-3 years ago, so I wouldn't say that.

Certainly, I encouraged the City to be an active buyer of land before we didn't the massive as-of-right upzoning in the last 2 years, and my suggestion went unheeded.

That did initially spike land values. Right now, however, due to the condo market crash, values are actually lower than they were on most properties, even small as-of-right beneficiaries.

But that won't last.

Especially in hot or potentially hot areas like downtown.

The City should 100% be on a buying spree, both willing buyer/seller and by expropriation, where appropriate, to achieve ideally sized and shaped parks.

Those lands should be used to create "last kilometre depots". Where deliveries can be made in a city block without blocking the arterial or transit roads. Delivery trucks could go to those depots, transfer their goods to cargo bikes using bike lanes or just walkers using sidewalks, to deliver the goods to offices, stores, or residents around the block.

 

[Northern Light]

Those lands should be used to create "last kilometre depots". Where deliveries can be made in a city block without blocking the arterial or transit roads. Delivery trucks could go to those depots, transfer their goods to cargo bikes or just walkers, who would then use the bike lanes to deliver the goods to offices, stores, or residents around the block.

You want to use Parkland funds to creating parking spaces? Uh, in a word 'No'. Not permitted by statute anyway, thank goodness.

 

[afransen]

Definitely. Maybe its allocated, but I think we'd all like to know where if that's the case; if its not, there are no shortage of ways to spend it well.

The growth is due to new contributions, mostly, not growth due to investment, I would imagine.

 

[Northern Light]

The growth is due to new contributions, mostly, not growth due to investment, I would imagine.

The City does generally obtain some ROI on its long-term accounts, but I think your assumption is nonetheless a safe one.

 

[Jonny5]

Here's an interesting article on how badly the City was prepared for the Toronto Raptors parade in 2019. The turnout was triple what they planned for, and a hired expert said it was a "near miss" where so many things could have gone very wrong, even beyond the shooting, which really wasn't that big of a thing (most people there didn't even know it happened until after the event was over.) The City was still unprepared for what to do if the Blue Jays won the World Series. It would have been chaos.

But the key takeaways are:

• Have a stock plan and stick to it. MLSE and Rogers can be allowed to customise only small parts of it, but never the parade route
• Events in other locations won't deter many people from coming to the main event. A watch party in Mississauga will pull in less than 1% of the attendees.
• Nathan Phillips Square cannot hold these events anymore. There is not enough space and not enough entry and exit capacity (especially now with OL construction on Queen)
• Make the route as linear as possible from beginning to end, not a winding route through the core
• Do not have it pass anywhere near Union Station or any major transit hub

Not explicitly mentioned in the report, but made obvious in the reporting is these things will have to be shunted down to Lake Shore Boulevard and Exhibition Place.

Secret report details frenzied planning for Raptors’ disastrous championship parade

After the Raptors parade in 2019, it left serious doubts about Toronto's ability to fete our sports heroes in world class style.

www.thestar.com

 

[McGillicuddy]

It actually wouldn't be a terrible idea to have some sort of "Celebration Plaza" down at Exhibition, huh.