Toronto social agencies urge John Tory to back off departmental budget cuts

Seniors, low-income people and those dealing with disabilities will be hurt most by the mayor's plan to cut city departments, a group warned at city hall Wednesday.

RahimaMulla, who works with the city'sDisability, Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee, was part of the group that delivered a handfulof letters to Mayor John Tory urging him to back off his plan toslash2.6 per cent from the budgets of every city department.

• TTC riders say 10-cent fare hike means paying more for less

ForMulla, who uses a wheelchair, the math is simple: "Budget cuts equals service cuts equals hardships for people with disabilities."

City agenciesand departments are set to present their initial 2017 operating and capital budgets next month. Tory is hoping the budget cuts will allow him to keep his campaign promise of not raising property taxes above the rate of inflation.

On the heels of the TTC increasing fares by 10 cents, the committee members said they're worried departmental cuts could also boost costs for seniors, youth and other low-income people.Letters came infrom advisory committees representing all of those groups, as wellas the Board of Health.

Rachel Gray signed one of the letters, as a member of the Toronto Food Policy Council.

She urged the mayor not to go ahead with the cutsat a time when statistics show child poverty has increased in the city.

Gray said the city should instead look into a series of "revenue tools"it could use to generate funds.

"Don't think about taxes as something that you want to be able to avoid, but think about them as the way that you stay healthy and your families stay healthy and we grow together," she said.

'Larger fix is clearly required'

Mayor John Tory wasn't available for an interview on Wednesday but his office emailed a statement to CBC Torontooutlining some $100 million the city has invested in poverty-reduction measures.

That list includesexpanded school nutrition programs, extra nursing supports for seniors in long-term care and providing free transit for all children on the TTC.

As for the cutbacks to the departments, "a larger fix is clearly required," the statement said, adding that the mayor plans to lead a discussion on how to solve the city's annual budget woes in the future.

City council willvote on the departmental budgets in February.