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Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

Monarch Butterfly said:
Not everyone reads each and every thread.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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 ConsiderationRevised Rate
Over $3,000,000 and up to $4,000,0004.40 percent
Over $4,000,000 and up to $5,000,0005.45 percent
Over $5,000,000 and up to $10,000,0006.50 percent
Over $10,000,000 and up to $20,000,0007.55 percent
Over $20,000,0008.60 percent
 
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

1765925698146.png


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.

1765926156203.png


1765926213737.png

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

1765926326049.png
 
Northern Light said:
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
Click to expand...
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???
 
DSCToronto said:
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???
Click to expand...

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 value of these reserve funds seems to be losing buying power due to inflation and increasing land values...
 
Northern Light said:
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
Click to expand...
You can bet if I were Parks boss, Id be getting that substantial sum allocated lickity split!
 
afransen said:
The value of these reserve funds seems to be losing buying power due to inflation and increasing land values...
Click to expand...

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.
 
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Northern Light said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
Northern Light said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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Monarch Butterfly said:
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.
Click to expand...

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