Toronto Budget Unveiled But Where Will Your Money Go?
Posted October 30, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
On the heels of a water main break that flooded the streets near St. Clair and Mount Pleasant Thursday morning, Toronto residents found out just how much money the city plans to spend on the problem.
The City of Toronto has released its proposed 2009-2013 budgets, and $800 million over the next five years is slated solely for road repairs.
“We will be fixing more potholes. We will be fixing more bridges, and we will be resurfacing more roads so things will be getting better,” promised Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker. He’s also the chair of Public Works & Infrastructure Committee.
“The biggest challenge in transportation is its growing backlog of road repair,” acknowledged Mayor David Miller.
“The proposed budget fulfils that commitment by making important investments in transportation, like keeping our roads in a state of good repair.”
However, that’s not enough, argued one critic.
“I mean they have an $87 million backlog on the Gardiner Expressway,” outlined Faye Lyons of the Canadian Automobile Association.
“So [the extra money] wouldn’t even tackle the road repair backlog on the Gardiner Expressway.”
And even the city budget chief, Councillor Shelley Carroll, admitted Toronto won’t be building new roads.
Despite that, she called the budget “ambitious.”
“The plans will employ people in order to build in the city, that will keep our economy flowing and will continue to make this the great global city that it is,” vowed Carroll.
Not all of her fellow councillors agreed with her positive assessment.
“Everything here seems to be going into secret. We’re going to have two days of public hearings, two days of meetings and then expect this at a budget committee and then expect council to support a $9 billion budget? It’s ridiculous,” fumed David Shiner (Ward 24).
“As I drive down Victoria Park, my teeth chatter as I go over the potholes,” complained Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong.
“Steeles is one of the worst streets in the city. I’d like to see those roads fixed first, and there’s no real plan to fix the roads that are falling apart.”
The proposed capital budget was presented to the Budget Committee on Thursday. But it didn’t include any property tax hikes or user fees because those are part of the operating budget. That will be unveiled in early 2009.
In an open letter to Carroll and City Manager Shirley Hoy, Mayor David Miller had indicated that his priorities included:
- Increasing public transit
- Implement the Toronto Bike Plan by 2012
- Invest in the Economic Development division, including the implementation of Build Toronto and Invest Toronto
- Enhance the successful Streets to Homes program, which has already helped 2,000 homeless individuals to get off the streets, and support the development of new affordable housing.
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