Mayor John Tory outlines ‘devastating’ cuts required if other governments don’t bail Toronto out

Thestar.com
May 25, 2020
Jennifer Pagliaro

Mayor John Tory has outlined a doomsday scenario if other levels of governments don't step in to save the city financially.

In a message aimed directly at Ottawa and Queen’s Park -- which have yet to commit to substantial funding to cover the estimated $1.5-billion shortfall in Toronto this year -- Tory laid out what he called “devastating” slashing of TTC, police and library budgets as well as mass layoffs.

“Without immediate support, our city, like many other cities across Canada -- in fact, I think without exception cities across Canada -- is facing unprecedented cuts that will hurt the city and every person and every business that the federal and provincial governments have been trying to help over the last weeks since this pandemic began,” Tory said at a regularly scheduled city hall news conference.

In calling on those governments to intervene, he then listed, in dramatic fashion, the cuts staff had calculated would be required if that help doesn’t come.

That theoretical list, he said, includes a $575-million reduction to TTC service representing an unprecedented 50 per cent shutdown that would cut service in half on lines 1 and 2; shutting down the Scarborough RT and Sheppard line; diminishing streetcar service to once every 10 to 20 minutes; cutting service on bus routes like Jane, Dufferin, Steeles and Finch in half; and reducing Wheel-Trans service by more than four million rides.

Beyond the TTC, Toronto Fire would see a $23-million cut and Toronto Police would have to scrap 500 front-line officers after numbers were boosted in this year’s budget.

The needed service reductions would see 40,625 child-care subsidies disappear, and half of the shelter spaces added for physical distancing closed.

Community services would take an enormous hit: 61 community centres would close, representing a loss of 600,000 hours of recreation programs, as while as library branch closures.

Long-term care would lose 1,320 beds.

Toronto Community Housing would cost more for residents paying subsidized rent.

Plans to open additional safe spaces for youth in community hubs to help stem gun violence would not proceed.

And more than 19,000 city employees would be laid off.

On top of that, capital infrastructure builds and repairs, including “critical” transit projects, would see $451 million in reductions, Tory said. He did not elaborate on which projects would be on the chopping block.

“I find these cuts completely unacceptable,” the mayor said. “I don’t know how we can contemplate cuts to our services though when we are at a time when you, the people of the city of Toronto and people in cities across Canada, need those services the most.”

The city cannot run a deficit to pay for operating expenses like running buses or keeping library branches open. And even if it was allowed under provincial rules governing municipalities, Tory said he wouldn’t want to see it happen since the city would still be responsible for paying back the debt with limited resources.

Other options, like raising taxes, are also unconscionable he said Friday. Covering a $1.5-billion shortfall would require a 47 per cent residential property tax increase.