City services impact your life every day. Each time you visit a recreation centre, borrow a book from the library, have your garbage or recycling picked up, drink clean water from the tap, ride the TTC or have emergency services rush to your aid – you are using a City of Toronto service.

That’s why the city’s budget is so important – it’s about setting our collective goals and building a great city. It determines the level of service provided to Toronto residents and guides decisions on what city infrastructure will be purchased, built and repaired.

Learn more about the city's budget and finances.

2023 Budget

I heard from so many of you about the need for more compassion in the lead up to the 2023 City Budget. After many days of negotiation, City Council finalized Toronto $16 billion budget on February 15th, 2023 after a broad consensus was reached on some improvements that all but one Councillor supported. These included:

  • Money for a 24/7 warming centre to run until April 15th
  • Additional resources to successful violence prevention programs and youth hubs
  • Money to expand multi-disciplinary mental health and homeless support teams dedicated to the TTC
  • Increasing the access for low income seniors to the property tax deferral program
  • An additional one million dollars to the Rent Bank to prevent tenants from ending up homeless

These additions to the budget were accomplished by Councillors of all political leanings, working together under very difficult circumstances to respond to the concerns of residents who spoke up throughout the budget process. They were passed by majority vote at Council.

This budget was approved under the shadow of changes made by Premier Ford’s Bill 39, which allows Toronto's Mayor to veto decisions by City Council, pass the budget without a majority of Council approval and impose bylaws through minority rule. I will continue to call for these powers to be repealed nor used by our next Mayor.

Despite the changes that were made at Council we can do better in the next budget. While ensuring safety on our streets we also must ensure compassion and care for those with nowhere to go in the freezing winter. Making our city into one that is safe, clean, and caring is possible. We can do better.

For more on the 2023 budget read my updates on the police budget and warming centres and my successful motion to increase EV charging funding

City of Toronto launches 2021 tax-supported budgets

Today, the City of Toronto's Budget Committee began the process of reviewing the staff-recommended tax-supported operating and capital budgets for 2021. The budgets will be reviewed and debated by Budget and Executive Committees before being finalized and approved by City Council at its meeting on February 18.

The City has experienced significant financial impacts in the form of both added costs and revenue losses as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These impacts are expected to continue into 2021, with anticipated financial pressures of approximately $1.6 billion.

City Council approves 2021 rate-supported budgets with the largest annual capital investment in Toronto Water’s history

Toronto City Council has approved the 2021 rate-supported operating and capital budgets for Toronto Water, Toronto Parking Authority and Solid Waste Management Services. The approved budgets maintain current service levels and make critical investments in infrastructure while reducing planned rate increases to just 1.5 per cent.

The 2021 operating and capital budgets have been developed with the guiding principles of addressing financial challenges that have been created by COVID-19, prioritizing initiatives that will support economic restart and recovery efforts, and embedding equity by finding opportunities to make the city more fair and livable for those who live and work here.

City of Toronto launches 2021 rate-supported budgets

The 2021 staff-recommended rate-supported operating and capital budgets were launched at Budget Committee today. The City of Toronto has three rate-supported programs funded through user fees: Toronto Water, Solid Waste Management Services and the Toronto Parking Authority.

The City of Toronto, consistent with other large Canadian municipalities, has experienced significant financial impacts in the form of both added costs and revenue losses as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These unprecedented impacts are expected to continue into 2021, with anticipated financial pressures of approximately $1.8 billion.

Budget 2018

The 2018 Budget website includes the budget presentations, budget schedule, media releases, fact sheets and Budget Notes for each City Program and Agency as well as infographics and animation educational videos. Visit www.toronto.ca/budget2018.

You can find various materials and publications to learn more about the City budget and the budget process. They include the Preliminary Budget Overview and three Budget Basics publications which can be found here: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/budget-finances/city-budget/basic-basics/.

Toronto Island flood repairs to cost $7.4M

BY NEWS STAFF

POSTED JAN 10, 2018 6:44 PM EST

Repairing the damage from the flooding in Toronto last year will cost $7.4 million — most of which the city will defer until at least 2019. That means when you set foot back on the Toronto Islands in a few months, it won’t be fully back to normal. Melting snow and intense rain last spring caused the worst flooding

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