Toronto desperately needs change at City Hall. Spending has increased 43% since outgoing mayor David Miller took office — salaries and benefits by 47%. Over that same time, revenue from user fees and permits rose nearly 30% and property tax revenue by nearly a quarter — far outstripping the city’s population growth. The city has anywhere from 15% to 25% more employees than it did in 1998, depending on whose numbers you go by, and very little to show for it. All candidates in this campaign agree the city faces a $503-million budget shortfall for 2011.
The municipal government simply spends too much money, a plain fact that becomes evident every time budget day approaches and mortal panic sets in. In the past, some ad-hoc combination of service cuts, fee hikes, property tax increases and temporary, desperation budget cuts across departments has kept the city treading water. But treading water isn’t good enough. Torontonians rightly sense that their city is in trouble.
In our opinion, Rob Ford is the best candidate to address this situation.
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