Budget crisis triggers widespread cuts to Toronto city services

Torontonianswill haveto get used to reduced city services such as litter cleanup andsnow removal, and lessaccess tocommunity centres and libraries as part of sweeping proposed cuts to deal with a budget crisis, the city said Friday.

After weeks of warnings and speculation surrounding the cuts, alarge crowd gathered at city hall as city manager Shirley Hoybriefed reporters, staff and city councillors on thecost containmentplan to deal with thecity's$575-millionshortfall for next year.

"Unfortunately, there remain no other options to fund municipal services," Hoy said Friday. "Therefore, these recommendations will be the start of much more difficult choices in the future."

Despite two weeks of scouring the city's books for areas to cut $100 million, seniorstaff were only able to come up with savingsof $34 millionbyyear's end, whichHoy said would lead to $83 million insavings ina full year.

Themeasures include:

• Closing all community centres on Mondays.
• Reducing library hours.
• Reducing litter pickup and snow removal.
• Delaying opening artificial ice rinks in the coming winter.
• Cancelling plans for front-door garbage pickup at townhouses.

Hoy outlined afour-point plan to help restore long-term fiscal health to the city, saying senior officials would employ a strategy to get the province to upload the cost of social service programs andresume support for 50 per cent ofthe Toronto Transit Commission'soperating costs.

The city will look to obtain new and diverse sources of revenue and continue to ensure cost control, she added.

City 'in serious, serious trouble,' says union leader

The cuts do not call for any layoffs of full-time staff. The focus insteadis on reducing hours for part-time and contract workers.

The civic employees' union isn't happy with the cuts, calling them a step backward for Toronto.

Brian Cochrane, president of theToronto Civic Workers Union, Local 416, said he understands the financial situation the city is in, butsaidthe hiring freeze and job cutbacks will affect workers' security.

"I worry about the future," he said. "I really think that we are in serious, serious trouble in terms of the quality of life in this city and employment. That's where my heart is."

The budget crisis has forced other services to find reductions. They include the TTC, which will cut $6 million, and the Toronto Police Service, which hasoffered to cut $3 million far from the $10 million it was asked to trim.

The TTChas said it will makefurther decisions in the fall about any potential cuts tobus routes.

Some measures, such asservice reductions, don't need council approval, and mostof the cuts are expectedto go through in the next few months without a vote.

Ever since city councillors voted against bringing in two new taxes last month, Mayor David Miller haswarned the consequences will be severe.

'We saw this coming'

FollowingFriday's announcement, Miller continued to assert that the deep cuts would not have been necessary had the land transfer tax and the vehicle tax been approved.

"Do we want to live in a vibrant successful city that's one of North America's most important, and takes its rightful place in the world, or do we want our quality of life to deteriorate? That's the choice we face," Miller told reporters.

"If you want a great city, you have to find the resources to pay for it."

Already, the city's transit system has announced proposed major reductions in service, but now many of the other core services city hall deliversare coming under the knife.

The services only make up about a sixth of the city budget. But budget chief Shelley Carroll said the cuts will all happen in those areas, as other services such as child care, welfare, old-age homes and shelters have to be provided and cannot be cut under provincial law.

But Miller'scritics in city council were furious, saying the cuts are happening too fast.

Tensions among rivalcouncillors boiled overafter the announcement,with Denzil Minnan-Wong and Adam Vaughan engaging in a shouting match in front of reporters over who was to blame for the cuts.

Minnan-Wong said the budget crisis has been developing for years and themayor should have had a backup plan.

"We saw this coming last year. David Miller knew the cupboard was going to be bare, and he has done absolutely nothing."

Minnan-Wong said creative solutions could have been found with more time, such as cutting staff overtime and privatizing some services.