Issues & Policies

February 7, 2012

Consider it a welcome declaration of independence. Toronto’s residents, urban planners and elected councillors will have a lot more say over neighbourhood development if this city succeeds in freeing itself from a century-old oppressor.

No, the bully Toronto wants to escape isn’t some local Scut Farkus (“He had yellow eyes!”) It’s the Ontario Municipal Board — an unelected, widely despised, quasi-judicial provincial agency with the power to overrule any community’s development decisions.

The board has repeatedly done just that in Toronto, notably in 2007 when it ruled in favour of developers and approved a series of highrise residential buildings on a culturally important section of Queen St. West. The decision came over the objections of local residents, the arts community, city planners, Toronto’s mayor and city councillors.

Read more: Toronto Star: Ontario Municipal Board interference in Toronto’s development needs to end

In response to a motion by Councillor Josh Matlow, seconded by Councillor Mike Layton, the City of Toronto's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will be considering moving forward with increased fines and enforcement to Relieve Rush Hour Congestion Due to Unlawful Stopping, Standing, and Parking.

You can see the January 4th, 2012 agenda item by clicking here. Click here to read the Globe and Mail's Marcus Gee on on Curb hogs and click here to read the Toronto Star story on our progress.

Councillors Matlow and Layton are committed to taking action on improving the mobility of Torontonians no matter whether they drive a car, take public transit, ride a bicycle or are a pedestrian.

Traffic congestion is a significant problem for Toronto's motorists, public transit users and cyclists. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently noted that the Greater Toronto Area suffers from the longest work commute times in North America. This congestion costs the region's economy an estimated $3.3 billion per year while negatively impacting on the quality of life of our residents. The long-term solutions to this problem include building a more accessible, extensive and efficient public transportation system in addition to encouraging car-pooling and cycling.

In the meantime, council can take small, but important, measures to alleviate traffic congestion. One such measure is to provide sufficient deterrents to motorists and delivery drivers that stop, stand, park illegally or otherwise obstruct traffic on arterial roads during rush hour. Far too often, entire lanes of major roads are blocked due to an individual pulling over to grab a coffee in the morning or a delivery vehicle choosing the afternoon rush period to drop off their goods. Drivers along arterials often use bicycle lanes as a parking lane, forcing cyclists to dangerously merge into traffic. During rush hour this creates very unsafe conditions for cyclists. While currently not permitted, it is clear that current fines and levels of enforcement are not sufficient to deter such activities.

This motion seeks to improve traffic flow during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods by increasing the fines and level of enforcement for individuals that obstruct other motorists, public transit users and cyclists.

I believe that when decisions are being made at City Hall that affect any neighbourhood or street in our ward, it is vital that those residents are informed.  When it comes to the 2012 City of Toronto Budget, Council's decisions will have an impact on not only one community, but the entire City.

A Responsible & Compassionate 2012 City of Toronto budget approved

Dear Friends and Residents,

On Tuesday, January 17th, City Council approved a responsible and compassionate budget that reflected the voices of Ward 22 residents, and the majority of Torontonians. I am very pleased that Council was able to come together and save many important municipal supports for children, seniors, the less fortunate and the environment. These services were protected by the efforts of many councillors that I worked with day and night over the past weeks to achieve a better outcome for Toronto. I am pleased to have helped bring together colleagues from different political stripes and areas of the city to protect childcare, transit, recreational facilities and many other social supports. The specific programs and services protected today include:

• $5 million to the TTC to help prevent service cuts
• $3.9 million to prevent proposed cuts to libraries
• $2.8 million to restore funding to the Community Partnerships Investment Program  which support seniors, newcomers and youth
• $1.97 million to restore funding for 3 housing shelters
• $1.68 million for the school-based childcare rent subsidy
• $1.3 million to restore youth programs at Priority Centres
• $680,000 for programming at 5 school-based pools
• $670,000 to restore child care centre programming
• $323,000 for climate change and energy sustainability programs
• $260,000 for ice rink programming

The programs protected by city councillors demonstrate that our municipal government is able to deliver for Torontonians when faced with measures that would negatively affect many residents. This example of effective, bi-partisan cooperation should be continued in the coming months to deliver a realistic transit plan and take control of local planning by ridding our city of the OMB.

Thank you to the many Ward 22 residents who took the time to write letters in support of crucial programs to the Mayor and members of his Executive and Budget Committees. It is also important to remember that our city was originally presented with potential cuts that would have severely damaged the social fabric of our communities including:

• A reduction of subsidized child care spaces
• Eliminate or charge a premium fare for Blue Night (late night) bus and streetcar     network
• Close City museums
• Closing some library branches
• Eliminate Environment Days
• Eliminate the Hardship fund which provides medical products to low-income residents
• Dental care for low-income residents
• Reduce or eliminate grants funding for arts organizations

These services were protected prior to this week's budget debate because of your advocacy. Your voice made a difference!

I will continue to work with all of my colleagues, from every political perspective, in order to find solutions to our City's problems and return to building a great Toronto for all residents.

Sincerely,

Josh

City Councillor

Ward 22 - St. Paul's East

www.joshmatlow.ca

Dear Friends and Residents,

Yesterday, the Budget Committee approved a $9.4 billion operating budget and a $2.8 billion capital budget for the City of Toronto in 2012. Their recommendations will go to Executive Committee and full Council on January 17th, 2012. While I am pleased that several important programs were saved, I am still concerned over many of the cuts that remain.  Many of the remaining cuts are a direct result of the Mayor's request to cut 10% from the budgets of every City Department, Agency, Board and Commission. I have expressed my concern about the arbitrary nature in which this process has been conducted in a previous newsletter.  These mandated reductions have forced City staff to take Draconian measures that do not consider the importance of services to local residents that rely upon them.

In this update, I'm providing you with:

• A notice about my upcoming 2012 Budget Town Hall
• Important information on the 2012 Budget

Warm regards,

Josh

City Councillor
Ward 22 – St. Paul's
www.joshmatlow.ca

1. Notice of my upcoming 2012 Budget Town Hall

Date:  Wednesday, January 11
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location:  North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, 200 Eglinton Ave W (at Lascelles Blvd)

I will be hosting my 2nd annual Budget Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, January 11th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the North Toronto Memorial Community Centre.  City Staff will be available to answer any budget related questions you might have.  The decisions Council will make in January on the 2012 Budget will impact every Toronto resident.  I believe that it is vital that you are informed, engaged and given the opportunity to make your voice heard

2. Important information on the 2012 Budget

Programs that were protected:

• Student nutrition programs for 14,000 students including Davisville Public School
• Programming at 12 school-based community centres including Brown Public School
• Two of the seven indoor swimming pools slated for closure: Bedford Park Community Centre and Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute.
• Wheel-Trans service for ambulatory dialysis patients continues until June 30, at a cost of $2.5 million, while permanent funding is sought.

Thank you to the many Ward 22 residents who took the time to write letters in support of these crucial programs to the Mayor and members of his Executive and Budget Committees. Your voice made a difference!

As your former School Trustee, I am very aware of the importance of a good meal for student performance. It is unfair to expect a child to learn and be successful in the classroom if he/she is coming to school on an empty stomach. I am also keenly aware that many neighbourhoods throughout the city rely on the excellent programming available at our school-based community centres and pools. Our gratitude should also be extended to several councillors affiliated with the mayor who recognized the importance of these programs to children and families across the city and spoke out in favour of preserving funding.

Some of the programs still scheduled for reduction or elimination:

• Libraries' budget cut 10 per cent, or $7 million.
• Close three daycares (St. Mark's near Queen and Lansdowne; Greenholm-Albion in Etobicoke and Belleview near College and Bathurst) and eliminate daycare's rent subsidies potentially increasing costs to parents
• Close homeless shelters (Birchmount, Downsview Dells and Bellwoods).
• Close five of the seven targeted indoor pools (in Frankland Community Centre, Gordon A. Brown Middle School, Hillcrest Community Centre, Runnymede Collegiate and S H. Armstrong Community Recreation Centre.)
• Close five of 105 wading pools and two of 59 outdoor pools
• Half of the planned cuts to rush-hour bus service have been cancelled for now but threaten to reappear in 2013 unless TTC can find $45 million for 54 new buses and bus storage facilities
• A 17% cut to the Toronto Environment Office, eliminating energy conservation and climate change strategy implementation staff
• Reducing City's tree canopy. The budget calls for merging programs for new trees and street trees into one program to save about $1 million
• Community Partnership and Investment Program. The program, which provides grants to community groups, has seen its funding envelope cut about 10 per cent to $42.5 million
• $100,000 reduction to the Tenant's Defence fund
• Elimination of Mechanical leaf collection. Residents in areas of Etobicoke and Scarborough will have to bag their leaves if council approves cancelling mechanical collection of leaves raked to the curb
• Elimination of Christmas bureau that helps distribute gifts to needy children.
• Increased response time for firefighters and paramedics. In 2012, planned hiring of 68 firefighters and 36 paramedics is being postponed
• Reducing road cleaning standards
• Reduction in child care services in hostels
• Reduction in horticultural service - annual flower bed, perennial and shrub display reduction

In addition to the many concerning cuts there are a number of measures on the revenue side that the community should be aware of:

• 2.5% property increase
• Increased user fees including recreation programs for children, seniors and low-income individuals, as well as ice rink permits
• Increased garbage rates for multi-unit residential buildings (small, generally "walk-up", apartment buildings)

While I recognize the intent to rein in spending, an order to cut without considering context, details or how residents would be affected by these decisions has led to a number of recommendations that will have an adverse impact on our communities.

In regards to libraries, I am very concerned about the negative effects that cuts to staffing levels, materials acquisitions and facilities will have on patrons. Libraries have often been referred to as the "city's living room". They are places where children, seniors, newcomers and all Torontonians can learn a new skill, discover an author, apply for a job or relax with a magazine.

The proposal for a 10% cut has the potential to result in 19,444 fewer hours at 53 branches across Toronto in addition to a reduction in materials acquisition and the elimination of many programs for children and seniors.

This is an unacceptable service cut, that many in our community rely on. I will work with my colleagues to help stop these cuts to our libraries.

While we must make some difficult but necessary decisions, many of the cuts proposed above are simply unsupportable from a basic good governance perspective. Childcare, recreation, public transit, arts & culture, the environment, tenants' assistance, supportive housing and many other  services are essential to the functionality of our city and our residents' basic quality of life.

I will continue working with my community and my colleagues from every political perspective to protect these services while helping to ensure that Toronto is financially sound.

Ward 22 has been successful in avoiding the brunt of the proposed cuts. However, I believe we have a responsibility to work towards a budget for all of Toronto that supports a compassionate and fiscally-responsible city.

To watch the City of Toronto 2012 budget meetings live-streamed, click here: http://t.co/9QeWUFhj

Here, you can find the following information:

• Details on my upcoming Town Hall Meeting
• 2012 Budget Updates from me
• City of Toronto Budget Information
• How to Participate in the City's 2012 Budget Process

I will continue to share any information that I receive during this important process.

Josh Matlow's Budget Town Hall Meeting

I will be hosting my 2nd annual Budget Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, January 11th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the North Toronto Memorial Community Centre.  City Staff will be available to answer any budget related questions you might have.

2012 Budget Updates from Josh Matlow

• November 28/12 -- Councillor Matlow's letter to residents on the 2012 City of Toronto Budget & TTC Service Reductions and Fare Changes

City of Toronto Budget Information

The 2012 Budget web page at www.toronto.ca/budget2012/index.htm is updated regularly and is an excellent resource.

I have received the following information from City Staff regarding the 2012 Budget.

• City of Toronto launches 2012 Budget Process for Tax Supported Operating and Capital Budgets - news_release_budget2012.pdf
• 2012 City Budget Process for Tax Supported Budgets - factsheet_2012_citybudgetprocess.pdf
• How the Staff Recommended 2012 Operating Budget was balanced - factsheet_balancing_strategy.pdf
• Core Service Review – 2012 Operating Budget - factsheet_final_coreservice_review.pdf
• Where the money comes from for the $14.8 Billion 2012 Staff Recommended Capital Budget and Plan - factsheet_moneycomesfrom_capital.pdf
• Where the money comes from for the $9.4 Billion 2012 Staff Recommended Operating Budget - factsheet_moneycomesfrom_operating.pdf
• Where the money goes for the $14.8 Billion 2012 Staff Recommended Capital Budget and Plan - factsheet_moneygoes_capital.pdf
• Where the money goes for the $9.4 Billion 2012 Staff Recommended Operating Budget - factsheet_moneygoes_operating.pdf
• Summary of Staff-Recommended Position Deletions for the 2012 Operating Budget - factsheet_positions.pdf
• 2012 Staff Recommended Capital Budget and Plan:  Updated City Debt Forecast - factsheet_updated_citydebt_forecast.pdf
• Qs & As - Staff Recommended 2012 City Budget - Qs & As_budget.pdf

You can find a copy of the Powerpoint Presenation that will be shown at various town halls across the City here.

Participate in the City’s 2012 Budget Process

The City of Toronto is now reviewing a proposed 2012 Tax Supported Operating Budget and 2012-2021 Capital Budget and Plan.

How City Council manages the City’s budget directly affects the quality of life for every resident. The budget determines what programs and services the City will offer.

If you want to make your views about the 2012 Budget known there are several ways to do so.

1.  Make a public presentation to the Budget Committee at its Budget Hearing.

2012 Operating Budget and 2012-2021 Capital Budget and Plan Hearing:  Budget Committee
December 7, 2011
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Council Chamber, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West
Please contact the Budget Committee at 416-392-1032 or 416-397- 7768, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than 4 p.m. on December 6, 2011 if you intend to make a public presentation. Please register to ensure that your name is placed on the speakers list. There will be a five-minute presentation time limit, unless the Committee decides otherwise. If necessary, the Committee will reconvene at 9:30 a.m. on December 8, 2011 to hear any remaining speakers on the speakers list.

2.  Submit a written presentation to:

Budget Committee
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West
10th floor, West Tower
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
Fax: 416-392-1879 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

3.  Send a letter or e-mail to your local City Councillor.

Notice: If you write or make a presentation to the Budget Committee, we will collect and use your personal information in accordance with applicable laws. We also videotape meetings and make recordings publicly available on request. For more information about the collection and use of your personal information, please visit: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/privacy.htm