Toronto City Council wrapped up the 2012 City operating and capital budgets on Tuesday, January 17. Here’s my final count of what was saved and a note on what was lost.

What Was Saved

A total of $32.7079 million in services saved.

$2.8 Million in Services Saved at Budget Committee on January 9:
• 58 student nutrition programs ($0.4 million)
• Programs in 12 TDSB shared-use community centres ($2.1 million)
• Programs in 2 TDSB school pools ($0.3 million)

All funds to maintain these services are drawn from a pool of $8.8 million in unanticipated assessment growth.

$5.9119 Million in Services Saved at Executive Committee on January 12:
• Hardship Fund (see below re dollars)
• Arts community grant funding from the Community Partnership Investment Program (CPIP)($1.9 million)
• Toronto Public Library cut reduced ($3.084 million)
• Local sidewalk snow clearing ($0.9279 million)

Hardship Fund: If Province doesn’t pick up the cost from July 1 onward, the funds will come from the Toronto Employment and Social Service net budget to pay for the program.
Funds to maintain all other services are drawn from a pool of $8.8 million in unanticipated assessment growth.

$5 Million in Services Saved at Toronto Transit Commission on December 14:
• Some transit route service during peak periods ($5 million)

Funds to maintain these routes are from diesel fund savings in TTC operating budget.

$18.996 Million in Services Saved at Toronto City Council on January 17:
• School-based child care rent subsidy ($1.7173 million)
• Child care programming ($0.67 million)
• Free children and youth registered programs at the City’s 20 Priority Centres ($1.3 million)
• Ice rink time in 10 arenas ($0.26 million)
• Programs in 5 school pools ($0.6835 million)
• Social service and public health grant funding from the Community Partnership Investment Program (CPIP)($2.2953 million)
• Transit route service ($5 million)
• Three homeless shelters ($1.9719 million)
• Mechanical leaf collection services ($0.51 million)
• Health funding to Immigrant Women’s Health Centre ($0.05 million from City; results in an additional savings of $0.15 million from Provincial funding)
• Toronto Environment Office staff to implement climate change action plan ($0.323 million)
• Toronto Public Library cut reduced ($3.89 million)
• Live Green Toronto Community Animators’ program ($0.325 million; half of funding provided in 2011)

Funds to maintain these services are from the 2011 surplus except for Immigrant Women’s Health Centre (from $8.8 million in unanticipated assessment growth), Toronto Environment Office (from reserve funds), Toronto Public Library (from Tax Stabilization Fund), Live Green Toronto Community Animators’ program (from Infrastructure Partnership Reserve).

What Was Lost

The list of what was lost is a more time-consuming process to assemble. Some reductions in the budget are described as “service efficiencies” and others as “minor service impacts” or “major service impacts”. Of course, these terms can be highly debatable. Sometimes a reduction in an individual budget is due to the completion of a temporary project that no longer requires operating dollars. Wading through City documents to document what was lost is going to take a bit of time.

In the meantime, here is the short list from the Toronto Star:

• “Lay off more than 1,000 workers as a result of various cuts.
• Defer hiring of 236 police officers and 117 civilian staffers ($14.636 million)
• Defer hiring of 68 firefighters ($7.22 million)
• Defer hiring of 36 paramedics ($1.1 million)
• Close five of 106 wading pools and two of 59 outdoor pools. ($157,000)
• End Wintercity outdoor programming ($46,000)
• Reduce road cleaning (streetsweeping); local streets will see sweeping reduced to bi-monthly from monthly ($4.24 million)
• Close visitor cafeterias in long-term care homes. ($304,000)
• Reducing funding for community animators in the Toronto Environment Office. ($643,000)
• Consolidate maintenance of new trees and street trees. ($278,000)
• Stop city management of the Christmas Bureau, set up in 1956 to distribute gifts to needy children. ($151,400)
• Cut back on horticultural services: end rejuvenation of rundown flower beds, and cut back on flower and shrub planting. ($600,000)
• Eliminate four free garbage tags provided to each house for overflow garbage. Instead, residents can purchase tags at $3.10 each. ($1.29 million)”

PROGRAM ASSISTANT POSITION

6-MONTH CONTRACT POSITION (35 HOURS/WEEK)

Social Planning Toronto is a non-profit community organization committed to independent social planning at the local and city-wide levels. We work to improve the quality of life for all people in Toronto through community capacity building, community education and advocacy, policy research and analysis, and social reporting.

Social Planning Toronto is looking for a full-time Program Assistant.

Over the six month period  intern will spend at SPT, s/he will contribute to the ongoing research and policy work of the Council in the areas of housing, labour markets and income, and education/human development. S/he will develop and hone skills in conducting research, analyzing, synthesizing, and interpreting government policy and legislation. S/he will also be developing social reports in order to inform policy positions and strategies on major social issues affecting Toronto and its local communities. In addition, the intern will be developing skills by assisting with ongoing Council projects.

Responsibilities and Job Duties:

• Assistance with SPT related projects as needed, meetings, supervision
• Organize monthly research and policy forum
• Policy analysis, literature review, environmental scans
• Research and evaluation, employing analytical skills
• Produce clear language documents
• Assist with designing training materials
• Assist with training sessions

The participant will:

• Improve writing and effective communication skills, including the ability to produce clear language documents, conduct literature reviews and environmental scans
• Develop research, evaluation, and analytical skills
• Develop skills in creating training materials and offering training sessions
• Acquire networks of contacts in the field of social services
• Improve interpersonal skills, and the ability to work with diverse communities

Eligibility:

This is a Service Canada funded internship under the Career Focus program. To participate in Career Focus projects, you must be:

• Between the ages of 15 and 30 (inclusive) at the time of intake/selection;
• Post-secondary graduate;
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee status has been conferred;
• Out of school;
• Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations and
• Not in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

SPT is committed to employment equity, and welcomes applicants from the full diversity of the community.

Salary: $19.00/hour

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and covering letter outlining how they meet the above criteria to:

Maria Serrano
Director of Operations
Social Planning Toronto
1001 – 2 Carlton St.
Toronto, Ontario   M5B 1J3
Fax: 416-351-0107
e-mail: info@soialplanningtoronto.org

The deadline for applications is Friday, February 17^th at 12:00 p.m.

Commitment 2 Community:  CPIP Funding Saved in Final Budget Vote

CUPE Ontario:  Budget Vote a Victory for the People of Toronto.  Fight to Keep Toronto Public Continues

Toronto Arts Council:  City Council Fully Restores Arts Grants for 2012!

Toronto Environmental Alliance:  Victory for the Environment!

Toronto Works Better Together:  2012 City Budget Round-Up: When is a Cut Not a Cut?

Wellesley Institute:  People Care About the Kind of City They Live In

Tallying Services Saved

• Budget Committee takes $2.8 million in service cuts off the table
• Executive Committee saves close to $6 million in services
• TTC reverses $5 million in service reductions on busy peak-time routes (from TTC savings)
• City Council removes almost $19 million in service cuts

After public calls in support of the arts, the Executive Committee took $1.9 million in cuts to community grants for arts programs off the table, along with a handful of cuts outlined below.  However cuts to community grants for community services remain. Please read the Commitment 2 Community message below and take one moment right now to sign the petition to safeguard community services delivered through the CPIP community grants program!

A message from Commitment 2 Community:

Please  take action on the 2012 City Budget now -visit  http://togethertoronto.ca/campaigns/community-services to sign a petition urging your city councillor not to cut funding to the Community Partnership and Investment Program (CPIP).  Signing this petition is quick, easy and effective. Your message will go to directly to your city councillor and you can customize it with your own comments or concerns. After you have signed, be sure to share the link widely over email, blogs, Facebook or Twitter.

Take action now because a 9.8% cut to CPIP is still being considered and in just over a week, City Council’s decisions about the budget will be final. All 44 city councillors and the mayor will vote on the 2012 budget from January 17-19th.

Take action now because CPIP builds healthy, safe and vibrant neighbourhoods across Toronto. It supports programs for women, children, youth, seniors, immigrants and residents of the city who are homeless, low income, racialized, LGBTQ, disabled and/or live with chronic illness. Learn more about what’s at stake with a cut to CPIP  here, and read United Way Toronto‘s recent letter to City Council supporting continued funding.

Take action now because CPIP is a smart investment in our city. Every $1 the city invests in CPIP leverages $10 from other levels of government, foundations, business and individuals – over $470 million in total. The immense value of CPIP was recognized yesterday by the Toronto Board of Trade; it recommended that City Council ”Restore $4.7-million in proposed cuts to the widely supported Community Partnership and Investment Program and  look closely at the widespread benefits these programs have beyond their dollar value in the operating budget.” Read their full submission to council here.

Any cut to CPIP will hurt residents and communities in every ward - let’s take this last chance to raise our concerns. Before City Councillors vote on the budget, we have to be sure that they hear from everyone who is worried about budget cuts to community services and programs, whether online, by phone or in person. If you want to call or email your councillor about the budget,  please visit this link for contact info & helpful tips.

Please ensure the message about maintaining CPIP funding is loud and clear to councillors by signing the petition and sharing it with all your contacts. Together, our commitment to community can inspire councillors to support and strengthen the city-wide network of services fostered by CPIP.

Executive Committee Quickly Dispenses with 2012 City Budget, Takes $6 Million in Cuts Off the Table, Just Under $80 Million in Cuts Remain

Executive Committee met today to make its recommendations for the 2012 City operating and capital budgets.  The committee quickly dispensed with these budgets, passing a number of motions to take $6 million in cuts off the table.  Here’s a summary of the services removed from the cuts list:

• $1.9 million in cuts to arts and culture grants provided through the Community Partnership and Investment Program (cuts to community grants for community services remain)
• the Hardship Fund be funded until July 2012; the City negotiate with the Province to take on the funding of the program; “In the event that additional provincial funding is not secured, any additional funding needed for the balance of the year be funded from the Toronto Employment and Social Services net budget.” (leaving questions about where that money comes from within the TESS budget)
• $927,900 in cuts to the sidewalk snow clearing program

• The Toronto Library Board cut its budget by 5.9% but refused to go for the full 10% cut; the Budget Committee wanted it to cut its budget by the full 10% and passed a motion that it cut another $6.974 million to meet the 10% target; the Executive Committee recommended that $3.084 million from unanticipated assessment growth go toward the library budget and that the board be required to cut another $3.89 million (instead of $6.974 million) but keep the library operating hours as is (that leaves the collections budget for new materials and programs such as literacy for cutting); if Council votes in favour of this motion, the board will consider Council’s motion; I don’t know what happens if the board refuses to make the cut

In total, the Executive Committee recommended that just under $6 million from unanticipated assessment growth be used to take these cuts off the table.  On Monday, Budget Committee had recommended that about $2.8 million be used from this fund.  Between Budget Committee and Executive Committee, they have allocated all $8.8 million from this fund to mitigate service reductions.

A motion was passed recommending that 100% of the 2011 surplus, currently projected at $154 million, be put into the capital financing reserve to cover TTC capital needs.  The motion, moved by Councillor Minnan-Wong, recommended that all surpluses be applied to the this account until the $700 million target in new financing for TTC capital projects is achieved.

There was also a motion passed about ensuring that residents at the three homeless shelters receive appropriate accommodation such as long-term care before the shelters are closed.  This motion, moved  by Councillor Mammoliti, also requested that the City Manager report back by April on a strategy to use federal and provincial housing money for a transitional housing allowance.  Some media reported that three long-term care homes were saved which is not the case (and no homes were on the chopping block (yet) rather closure of visitor cafeterias in long-term care homes are slated for closure and were not saved).  City staff reported earlier in the process that residents of the three shelters would be found appropriate accommodation.  Today’s motion has no substantive impact on the homeless shelter closures.  The staff recommended budget recommended closure of three shelters, as has the Budget Committee and now the Executive Committee.

What’s Left on the Chopping Block?  Almost $80 Million in Service Cuts Plus Recreation User Fee and TTC Fare Increases

Executive Committee has recommended almost $80 million in service cuts plus increases to recreation user fees and the TTC fare hike.  Proposed service cuts and user fee increases are slated for community services funded through the CPIP community grants program, libraries, priority centres, pools, arenas, child care, long-term care homes, homeless shelters, affordable housing development, housing and homeless support services, TTC bus and streetcar routes, preserving a healthy tree canopy, climate change and sustainable energy programs, longer waits for firefighters and paramedics, elimination of good jobs.

Councillors critical  of the budget, while in attendance, did not ask any questions of staff, make any statements or request that any motions be moved.  It appears many are holding their motions and debate for next week’s City Council meeting on January 17-19 when the final vote on the 2012 City operating and capital budgets will take place.

Final decisions on the budget:  City Council meets on January 17-19 to make its final decisions on the 2012 City operating and capital budgets.  Labour Council is organizing a rally to save City services and good jobs on January 17 at 5:30 p.m. in front of City Hall.

This morning at City Hall, women service users and women workers spoke out against the budget cuts that will disproportionately impact women with racialized women, newcomer women, women with disabilities and young women especially affected.  Women as a group have higher than average rates of poverty; they hold roles as primary care providers, and make up a substantial segment of the public service workforce whose jobs are on the line.

Speakers talked about how the cuts will impact their lives, and the lives of women in their community in areas such as TTC, child care, recreation, health, community grants, and good jobs.  The event was organized by Toronto Women’s City Alliance, the Immigrant Women’s Health Centre, Good Jobs for All, Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto, and the United Steelworkers Toronto Women’s Committee.  Read the media release here

Toronto Board of Trade Supports Bigger Property Tax Increase, Protection of Services

The Toronto Board of Trade has written a letter to members of Council calling for a 3% property tax increase (over the 2.5% recommended), an extra 5 cent increase to TTC fares for a total of 15 cent, saving community grants that allow nonprofit community agencies to provide vital community services, health initiatives and art programs across the city, safeguarding services to priority neighbourhoods and investing more in the TTC.  Read the report here

Mapping the Cuts:  CBC Radio Interview

SPT Senior Researcher Beth Wilson (yours truly) was interviewed by CBC Radio’s Here and Now Toronto host Laura Di Battista about the impact of service cuts on low income neighbourhoods, and how to take these damaging cuts off the table.  Listen here

SPT Director of Community Engagement Presents to Packed House at Ward 15 Eglinton-Lawrence Budget Forum

Last night, several councillors held their local constituent budget forums.  It was standing room only with over one hundred people at Councillor Colle’s forum in Eglinton-Lawrence.  SPT Director of Community Engagement Winston Tinglin and Toronto Board of Trade VP Richard Joy presented their perspectives on the City budget.  Residents took  part in small group discussions and then offered their analysis, asked questions and called for action at the town hall.  Overwhelmingly residents called on Councillor Colle to vote against the service cuts that will hurt their community and groups across the city.

See Winston’s powerpoint presentation here