OTHER CITIES: 
Budget Fever: Toronto's Turn!
First it was the Federal Budget, which did little to include the biggest city in Canada.
Then it was the Provincial Budget, which made no mention of Toronto at all.
Now its the city's turn to unveil what it plans to do with its estimated $7.6 Billion-plus operating budget. The obvious question, at this point, is "will this budget do anything for us?"
Let's find out what's on deck, shall we?
Part of the city's budget, the capital spending portion, was already approved at council March 7th. The plan oddly sees areas such as TTC funding and Health and Safety actually loose funding over the next four years. Overall, it seems funding from taxes and other levels of government are set to fall by over $200 Million.
The TTC portion can be explained by the fact that a lot of purchasing will be going on in the next two years.
But as for the actual budget, it'll be a wait and see game. While the budget is tentatively set to be revealed at some point today, the mayor's office has been playing this one very close to the vest. Under the new City Act, the mayor has been able to work primarily with a private committee to create the new budget.
Rumours state that the budget will include a $170M shortfall - similar to last year. It is expected the province will provide the top up. Look for highlights after the budget is reviewed (Wednesday) by council.
(photo: TerraS)
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Apologies for cross-posting but it's relevant and important...
**Proposed operating budget means service cuts to libraries**
For anyone who’s considering making a deputation I’d ask you to consider using a bit of your time to talk about the importance of giving the Toronto Public Library the 3.55% increase its asked for instead of the 3% approved by Budget Committee.
The difference is huge while the money required is anything but.
In asking for a 3.55% increase some minor service reductions will still be required. However, to get down to 3% it will require cutting the budget by an additional $940,000.
To get to that number the Library will have to reduce the number of Sundays it is open by 25% (9 Sundays) at 27 branches, 11 of which are in the so-called “priority” neighbourhoods — the areas that City Council has acknowledged has a high level of need but a low level of services provided.
In addition to service-level reductions the Library will have to reduce its Collections budget (used to buy books and other materials) to a level where its buying power would equate to 1993 levels (one of the lowest points in recent decades).
Unfortunately there really are no other places to cut if Council doesn’t provide the money. After amalgamation the Library reduced its staffing levels by 10% and hasn’t increased it since. Yet circulation in just the past five years has increased 20%. At the same time, the Library has been asked to take on more programs and support initiatives like the Community Safety Plan within existing resources.
Libraries are an essential part of every community, and this is especially the case in priority neighbourhoods. In priority neighbourhoods young people are more likely to rely on libraries for the study aides that many kids take for granted, like computer and internet access, encyclopedias, dictionaries and a quiet place to read. Plus, removing 9 days of service during the school year, no matter where a student lives, will hinder their ability to complete school assignments.
In reducing the collections budget the Library will slowly but surely make itself obsolete. It will no longer reflect the needs, interests and culture of the community it serves. That weakens the core of what the Library offers Toronto residents and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
So, as possibly the best combined physical and cultural resource the City has to offer, I’d ask you to give the Library a bit of consideration by either including it in your deputation or taking the time to contact your local councillor.
Below is a list of the libraries that would be affected by service reduction:
Albion (Ward 1)
Richview (Ward 4)
Brentwood (Ward 5)
Eatonville (Ward 5)
New Toronto (Ward 6)
York Woods (Ward 8 )
Downsview (Ward 9)
Northern District (Ward 16)
North York Reference (Ward 23)
Don Mills (Ward 25)
Flemington Park (Ward 26)
Fairview (Ward 33)
Barbara Frum (Ward 15)
Maria A. Shchuka (Ward 15)
Albert Campbell (Ward 35)
McGregor Park (Ward 37)
Agincourt (Ward 40)
Goldhawk Park (Ward 41)
Malvern (Ward 42)
Cedebrae (Ward 43)
Parkdale (Ward 14)
Bloor/Gladstone (Ward 18)
Lillian H. Smith (Ward 20)
Toronto Reference (Ward 27)
Parliament (Ward 28)
S. Walter Stewart (Ward 29)
Pape/Danforth (Ward 30)