Toronto's fiscal crisis and its future

world19 Public Forum:
"How do we build a great city? How do we pay for it?"

That was the theme of our public forum held on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7:30 pm at the Swansea Town Hall. A hundred people were present. Mayor Miller attended the latter part of the meeting. A discussion amongst panelists was followed by questions and comments from the audience. The evening concluded at 9:45, following impassioned words from the Mayor in support of the city and its future.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide information, stimulate thinking and start a discussion about Toronto and its needs and potential in the near and distant future.

Our panel:

Matthew Blackett
Publisher & Creative Director, Spacing magazine & spacing.ca

David Michael Lamb
City Politics Reporter, CBC Radio News

Neil Thomlinson
Chair, Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University

Moderator: Chris Holcroft, world19

Click here for our meeting report.

Sept. 5, 2007

Dear Councillor Saundercook,

As summer draws to a close and the serious fiscal situation facing our city weighs on us all, we are compelled to express our ongoing disappointment at your decision to support deferral of the council vote on the proposed levy of new taxes. That the city is in a financial crisis is not in dispute and deferral has already prompted cuts to important city services and fostered uncertainty in regard to Toronto's financial future. As we write this, local community groups across the city are being forced to adjust to this most unfortunate and quite unnecessary new reality.

Further, we do wonder if your support of the deferral means that you are opposed to the two new taxes in and of themselves. If so, we are interested to know what your solution to the massive budget shortfall might be.

Of course we all look forward to the day when the provincial government reassumes its full responsibility for the funding of provincially mandated programs and 'uploads the download'. But clearly that time is not near, and regardless we believe that Toronto needs to establish new and ongoing revenue streams that are under its own control in order to ensure a future that we can all look forward to and be proud of. Scratching about each and every year to find 'just enough' is simply not enough.

The October council vote will be the most important vote to face the amalgamated city to date. We believe the future of the city is at stake. Unfortunately, our future has already been needlessly undermined by the deferral. Without doubt, your constituents deserve to know your thinking on this very important matter well before the October council vote is upon us.

Between now and October 22nd, we will be working to see that Toronto's fiscal situation and possible solutions are clearly presented to the community in Ward 13 and beyond. Among our strategies, we plan to hold a public meeting to provide a local forum for discussion of the issue. We will be in touch with further details as our plans develop.

In the meantime, we hope you will respond to the concerns we've outlined above.

Sincerely,

For world19,
John Leeson
Elizabeth Lines

World19 is a Ward 13-based community group founded in 1997 and committed to citizen engagement and participation.

The following letter was sent to Councillor Saundercook as a follow-up to our Oct. 17 public forum, and our Sept. 5 Open Letter to him.

October 21, 2007

Dear Councillor Saundercook,

As you’ll recall, on September 5^th we sent you a letter expressing our disappointment regarding your decision in July to support deferral of the two new tax proposals. We feel that this deferral effectively hijacked the city and gave full voice to a handful of limited and generally private, commercial interests.

In some other wards, residents groups or councillors held public meetings to discuss this crucial issue, but none was forthcoming in Ward 13. For this reason, world19 organized a public forum on the future of our city, focusing on fiscal needs and possibilities. About one hundred interested residents attended, along with the Mayor as well as neighbouring Councillor Gord Perks.

We have received many positive comments about the meeting, some saying it was among the best panel discussions they had ever attended in the area. One attendee wrote “Thanks so much for hosting such a sane and thoughtful discussion”. It is unfortunate that you did not attend, and it is extremely frustrating that you did not respond to or acknowledge our earlier letter or invitations to this meeting. A number of attendees at our meeting were also surprised and disappointed at your lack of response.

As you did not attend, we have attached a meeting report for your information. The report is also posted, with some photos at www.world19.com.

Enough silence. This week’s vote is an opportunity for you to finally respond to your constituents and to the city that has been held hostage since July. It is an opportunity to give voice back to the public interest by supporting the new revenue tools to their fullest and in so doing allow this city to not just barely survive but to thrive.

We encourage you to vote ‘yes’ to a healthy, sustainable future for our city on behalf of us all.

Regards,
John Leeson
Elizabeth Lines

For world19
www.world19.com

world19 is a Ward 13-based community group founded in 1997 and committed to citizen engagement and participation.

world19 Public Forum: "How do we build a great city? How do we pay for it?"

world19 Public Forum:
"How do we build a great city? How do we pay for it?"