About City Budget Watch
Social Planning Toronto's City Budget Watch is back for the 2020 City of Toronto budget process! We'll be bringing you up-to-date reports and analysis on each step of the City budget process from launch date on Friday, January 10, to final votes at City Council on February 19. We'll let you know how you can learn more, get involved, and have your say on the 2020 budget.
The City Budget Watch Blog is authored by Beth Wilson. Beth is our lead on policy and research at Social Planning Toronto, starting at our organization in 2002. She has a Master of Social Work (MSW), Policy, Organization and Community.
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Latest Posts
Toronto Police Service’s Multi-Year Hiring Plan and the Costly Budget Implications
In recent months, the Toronto Police Service Board has publicly released and asked for feedback on its multi-year hiring plan. The plan projects the hiring of an additional 388 officers in 2024 and another 360 annually in 2025 and 2026. (See the table below for the full hiring plan through 2029.) The multiyear hiring plan and the police budget raise serious questions about the social and economic implications of having a record number of police officers in coming years.
Compromised Budget Delivers Historic New Investment Turning the Corner on a City in Decline, While Also Allocating Millions More to the Police
Hundreds of residents took part in the “Fund Our City” rally in front of City Hall on the morning of February 14. Community members sent a strong message to Toronto City Council to support the Mayor’s budget, including proposed funding increases for critical programs, services, and infrastructure and the recommended property tax increase to raise much-needed revenue. Many participants urged Council to reverse years of underfunding of key services and expressed disappointment with Council’s plan to give the police a larger budget increase.
Reasonable and Responsible Property Taxes to Fund a Better City
Property taxes are likely to be the topic of some debate at this Wednesday’s Council meeting, where final budget votes will take place. This year’s budget includes a proposed municipal tax increase that is considerably higher than previous years — on a residential property tax rate that is amongst the lowest in Canada. If passed, it will raise much-needed revenue to pay for critical programs and services and turn the corner on years of decline in our city.
Budget Resources
Budget Analysis & News
"Toronto After a Decade of Austerity: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"
This report looks at how our city has progressed, declined, or stagnated — when it comes to housing, child care, public transit, and cycling and walking — as a result of budget choices made over the past decade. Learn why it's urgent that we move away from austerity toward building a more affordable, fair, & caring city.
Partner Analysis
Our partners are also analyzing the budget through various lenses. Read some of their work here »
Media Coverage
On the budget:
- A date with big city budgets
- Toronto's proposal for balanced budget needs $77 million from federal government
- Toronto's infrastructure costs don’t end once construction is done
On housing:
On growing support for a tax on vacant homes and higher taxes on luxury homes:
- City puts plan to tax vacant homes on hold, but the idea isn't dead quite yet
- Canada needs a lot more rental housing. A tax on empty condos is part of the solution
- City Councillor favours tax on vacant homes in Toronto
- Growing push to tax both vacant, luxury homes during city's budget process
- Toronto's 2020 budget is just a chapter in a bigger book
- Toronto should put a tax on vacant homes
- Toronto’s 2020 budget would be improved with a tax on vacant homes
- Proposal for more real estate taxes is expected to heat up Toronto’s budget debate
On marginalization and inequity:
- No extra funding for Toronto fund that helps prevent evictions
- Toronto’s economic boom is not being felt in every neighbourhood
On gun violence:
- $6M anti-violence funding boost passes first budget hurdle, prompting both praise and concern
- ‘It’s good to see the city invest in communities again’: Tory’s promise for $6 million to youth programs brings hope of shift on gun violence
- Days after Airbnb killings, Mayor Tory pledges $6 million in new money for youth violence prevention
- Toronto's 2020 budget proposal has little city funding to respond to escalating gun violence
On transit and transportation:
- TTC fare enforcement crackdown doesn’t feel all that fair
- How the Gardiner Expressway hogs the road during budget talks
- Op-ed: The city balances its budget on the backs of students
- Billions to spend on transit renewal but what do we get?
- TTC staff release $4.6B shopping list, including new vehicles, station upgrades
- Toronto’s new streetcars are sleeker and roomier, but you could be waiting up to 25 per cent longer for a ride
- TTC's 10-cent fare hike doesn’t buy much transit
- Will Toronto be getting more new streetcars? The battle begins today with the city's draft budget
On libraries:
Get Involved!
Support the Vacant Homes Tax
It didn't make it into the 2020 City Budget, but we need to keep pushing for Council to take this action—one of the many needed to address our housing crisis—in 2021.
Send a message supporting the tax to your local City Councillor and the Mayor »