Tory wants review of free-parking handouts for politicians and others

Thestar.com
December 18, 2018
David Rider

Mayor John Tory wants Toronto Parking Authority to review unlimited free parking at Green P lots and on-street spots given to more than 160 retirees, politicians, city officials and current and past board members.

The longtime perk costs the city more than $300,000 per year in lost revenues, the TPA says in a routine approval report released last week and going to a board meeting Thursday.

The longtime practice of giving out free parking passes for Green P lots and on-street spots costs the city more than $300,000 per year in lost revenues.

Tory, who is usually chauffeured to official events and does not get one of the 163 parking passes, dubbed justifications for some recipients “flimsy.”

“I’ll be asking (TPA board members) to reconsider that list and just see if they really think it’s necessary for all of these people to have free parking because I think it aggravates the citizens who we represent, when they see these people on what look like fairly flimsy reasons (getting) free parking and everyone else doesn’t,” Tory said Monday in response to a reporter’s question.

Tory included city councillors among those he doesn’t think need free parking. Two of them -- Gord Perks (Ward 4, Parkdale--High Park) and Michael Ford (Ward 1, Etobicoke North) -- are not on the list of recipients first reported by the Toronto Sun.

“I asked to not get a pass because I don’t drive a car,” Perks said.

Ford said: “I don’t take passes because they are taxpayer-funded.”

On the list are: 46 supervisory and operations staff; 91 past and present board members and retirees with 20-plus years’ service; and 26 city councillors and city officials. Most get annual passes while the long-serving retirees and all former board members can get lifetime passes.

Based on past use, costs to the city are pegged at $270,000 for TPA staff, board members and service providers; $20,000 for city councillors and officials including the medical officer of health; and $27,000 for retirees and past board members.

The forced shrinking of council from 44 to 25 members should reduce spent on councillors this term.
Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 21, Scarborough Centre), who was at the same recreation announcement where Tory was asked about the parking passes, said he uses his pass “periodically, not so much for personal use, usually city business.”

Thompson noted the times he uses the pass for official business would be expensed through his office anyway. He said he wouldn’t miss the freebie if councillors lose it, adding the number of passes issued to retirees and past board members suggest a review is in order.