By Hamutal Dotan • Photo by Christopher Drost

Josh Colle introducing a motion to reverse budget cuts at City Hall yesterday.

A summary of the major changes to Rob Ford’s draft budget that was passed by council yesterday:

KEY BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT PASSED

• Omnibus motion to: restore the school based child care rent subsidy; restore child care centre programming; restore Priority Centre Youth programs; restore ice rink funding; restore pool funding; restore CPIP community grants; restore funding to shelters; reverse the proposed user fees for children, youth and older adults in priority centres; re-add $5 million to the TTC budget to prevent service reductions; and restore mechanical leaf collection services. Total effect: reversing many major proposed budget cuts.
  Moved by: Josh Colle
  Estimated cost: $15 million
  Offset by: Projected surplus from 2011 budget (total available pool: $154 million)

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• Allocate funding to the Immigrant Women’s Health Centre, effectively saving it from closure.
  Moved by: Michelle Berardinetti
  Cost: $50,000 net/$200,000 gross
  Offset by: Growth in property tax base (total available pool: $8.8 million)

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• Remove the recommendation to increase user fees at indoor pools for children and seniors, and to introduce user fees for everyone at outdoor pools.
  Moved by: Gloria Lindsay Luby
  Financial impact: Decreased revenue but no cost

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• Restore funding for three staff positions currently slated for elimination from the Toronto Environment Office.
  Moved by: Mary-Margaret McMahon
  Cost: $323,000
  Offset by: TEO’s reserve fund; no impact on operating budget

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• Reverse the final cut to the Toronto Public Library; they’re still seeing significant cuts to staff levels and collections, but not the ones that are most likely to lead to reductions in operating hours.
  Moved by: Raymond Cho
  Cost: $3.9 million
  Offset by: Drawing from reserve funds

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• Restore some funding to the Live Green Toronto Community Animator’s program (enough to leave them no more than 50 per cent of the funding they had last year). The goal is to give the program time to find external partners to take over service delivery in future years.
  Moved by: Joe Mihevc
  Cost: Not to exceed $325,000
  Offset by: Drawing from reserve funds.

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• Allow the Toronto Community Housing Corporation to keep the property tax savings they realized for 2011 and include it in their TCHC budget, rather than counting it as part of the City’s general revenue.
  Moved by: Adam Vaughan
  Financial implication: A reduction of approximately $6 million in the City surplus and corresponding increase in the TCHC budget.

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• Direct City staff to report back in June on the effect of hiring freezes on fire and EMS response times
  Moved by: Mike Layton
  Financial implication: N/A