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Public Works Service Cuts Pass First Hurdle

By Hamutal Dotan

CITY BUDGET CUTS Toronto’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee has been meeting all day at City Hall, discussing the findings of a KPMG report which detailed “opportunities for savings” that the City could find by eliminating or scaling back on some programs and services. Among the areas listed as open for cutting: cycling infrastructure, water fluoridation, waste diversion targets, environment days, and other environmental programs, outsourcing services such as garbage pick-up and clearing snow. After hearing from KPMG and about 30 deputants, and after questioning City staff, the councillors of the Public Works committee have considered motions to:

Their recommendations will be forwarded to the Executive Committee, which will debate them at a meeting on September 19. If they are approved there, they will move on to consideration by a full meeting of city council at a special meeting, on September 25–26. Because of Shiner’s motion and the clauses it contains, the early indications are that snow clearing, street sweeping, and water fluoridation are the items from the report most likely to survive any service cuts. No motions were proposed regarding revisions to the waste diversion targets or the scaling back of cycling infrastructure.

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  • istoronto

    I'm beginning to think the Ford Brother's agenda has less to do with stopping the gravy train and more to do with redirecting. The problem is under their command, the train is getting longer, all the while running over service and attractions, near and dear to many Torontonians. 

    I think this whole KPMG report is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to distract the public and media. In the end Ford will be at Riverdale farm, holding a bunny, telling people that no way is he going to let them shutdown a place were children from all walks of life …blah, blah, blah…. And the people will say – Isn't he a great guy for saving our farm. Back at the ranch, pinkslips will be going out to 1,000's of city staff.

  • Toronto_Dave

    Exactly. It's all about, to paraphrase former Harris education minister John Snoebelen, “creating a crisis”. Most of these cuts would be extremely unpopular if done outright, yet this is exactly what “small government” conservatives strive to do. Two effective tactics can make this palatable: first, convince people that your city/province/country is facing a budget crisis and that tough, painful decisions need to be made. If need be, do as Ford did and cut key sources of revenue in order to ensure a looming budget shortfall. Under this scenario, you create a situation where you “have no choice” but to balance the budget under extreme circumstances. Even though, of course, you created the shortfall in the first place – but that is neither here nor there, and no one in the media will call you out on it anyway.

    The second tactic is to threaten to cut far deeper than you would ever dream of cutting. That way, you can “spare” a few things the axe and still manage to come out the hero at the end of the day. I firmly believe that this is what's really going on with these KPMG reports. No way would Ford fire all those police officers or firefighters, and he's almost certainly not going to shut down Riverdale Farm. But he might end water fluoridation and will almost certainly discontinue the green bin program.

    So it goes…Hey folks, feel like voting in another one of these guys in October?

  • JohnfromTO

    I understand that if the City made all the proposed Public Works cuts, the total savings would be a measly $10-15 million. Now, with the biggest ticket items like street cleaning, snow plowing and windrow clearing off the table, what exactly is left?

  • Eric S. Smith

    Hey folks, feel like voting in another one of these guys in October?

    Survey says… 40%!

    Can I still call it amazing if it’s not in any way a surprise?  This is, after all, the electorate that probably would have given Harris a third term.

  • tomwest

    Whatever the pros and cons of flouridating water, it's paid for out of water bills. So cutting flouridation would have no impact on the property tax bill.