Ford’s press aide issued ‘talking points’ on service cuts: report
Posted September 14, 2011 12:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An internal memo issued this week by the mayor’s press secretary to Rob Ford’s allies on the council brings up service cuts — something he promised he wouldn’t do when he was running for the city’s top political post, according to a media report.
The Toronto Star reported Wednesday that Adrienne Batra sent a list of “talking points” to right-wing councillors, including ways to trim costs before having to resort to “service cuts.”
Batra hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment on the report.
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday told CityNews.ca he hasn’t seen the reported list.
Batra notes the city should consider better purchasing practices and reducing “back office” staff in an effort to save money, according to the Star. She reportedly goes on to suggest services should be prioritized if cuts need to be considered — reducing services that are “less important to the public” in order to preserve crucial services.
On Monday, city manager Joe Pennachetti released his cost-cutting recommendations following a core services review conducted by consultant KPMG.
Eliminating subsidized childcare spaces through attrition, selling off taxpayer-funded landmarks, such as the Toronto Zoo, and reducing or eliminating the TTC’s Blue Night bus network were among the many suggestions.
The recommendations will be debated during a meeting of the city’s executive committee on Monday. The report will then go before council on Sept. 26.
The mayor has said the city must plug a $774-million budget shortfall for 2012, and has asked all city departments to reduce their own budgets by 10 per cent.
On Wednesday he suggested a property tax hike of 2 or 2.5 per cent is the “worst case scenario” in 2012.
