Toronto’s city council passes 2013 budget

Toronto city council has passed the 2013 capital and operating budgets with extra money earmarked for Toronto firefighters and the student nutrition program, among other things.

Council voted 37-8 on Wednesday.

An extra $12 million in new spending – including $3.1 million increase to the firefighters’ budget – was added to the $9.4-billion operating budget.

“We’re on the right path,” Mayor Rob Ford said after the two-day meeting.

Ford went against deputy mayor Doug Holyday in approving a “compromise” for firefighters, and, on Tuesday, even voted against his own budget – supporting Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti’s call for a zero per cent property tax increase. Only a week ago, the executive committee, which Ford chairs, recommended a two per cent property tax increase. The two per cent increase was approved by council on Tuesday.

“We could have cost the taxpayers a lot more, but we didn’t,” Ford told reporters.

“We fended off the piranhas,” he said, referring to councillors who had asked for increases in funding.

Councillors did add money back to other programs, including $1.63 million to the student nutrition budget. The motion passed in a vote of 37-8.

Councillors also voted 39-6 in favour of Coun. Paula Fletcher’s motion that would save 63 firefighters jobs  — in addition to 20 positions approved by the executive committee last week — and five trucks, pending the outcome of a Toronto Fire Services efficiency study.

The decision will cost $3.1 million. (Councillors initially voted 35-10, and then 38-7, in favour of the motion. The vote was reopened twice because councillors voted incorrectly.)

“No one is going to lose their jobs over the [proposed cuts to firefighters],” Holyday said Wednesday, arguing against it before the vote.

“This budget is not about public safety. It’s about [the union’s] concerns,” he said, saying the funding concerns came from the union and not from the fire chief.

Holyday urged councillors to support the executive committee’s recommendations and to vote against Fletcher’s motion.

The budget is so full of pet projects, Holyday said, “we should call it the Ikea monkey budget.”

Ford disagreed, said he would support the “compromise” on the firefighters.

Coun. Frances Nunziata, normally a Ford ally, supported Holyday, urging councillors to vote against motions that added money back into the budget.

“Members of council always want to spend…Be prepared for a tax increase,” she said.

Coun. Raymond Cho, who plans to run for the Ontario PC party, said he would support the firefighters’ motions.

Cho said he was “against wasting taxpayers’ money,” but said the money needs to be spent to build the city.

Council also voted to approve the city’s 10-year capital spending plan, which included $505 million in spending over the next decade to repair the crumbling Gardiner. The budget committee last week voted in favour of resurrecting an environmental study on the highway that was shelved in 2010.

“We’re keeping the Gardiner. We’re not tearing down the Gardiner. We’re not putting tolls on the Gardiner,” Ford said Tuesday.

“I want to invest in the Gardiner.”

Other votes Wednesday included:
•    Council voted against an increase of $75,000 to the Tenant Defence Fund (19-26),
•    Council voted against eliminating children and youth drop-in fees at indoor pools (18-27),
•    Council voted to increase funding — $894,000 — to some Community Partnership and Investment programs (23-22),
•    Council voted against $104,000 in funding for the Global Aids Initiative (16-29),
•    Council voted to increase spending — $3.8 million — to the child care fee subsidy. Money will add 264 spaces (35-10),
•    Council voted to increase $6.8 million to the social housing reserve (24-21),
•    Council approved a half-time position for the Ombudsman’s office, shared with the Auditor General (24-21),
•    Council voted against a $96,000 increase to the Toronto Public Health budget (22-23),
•    Council voted against a $5 million increase in TTC spending (14-31),
•    Council approved a motion to make budget process more transparent (25-20),

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today