A list of the services, agencies and programs up for cuts at City Hall at the September 26 meeting and beyond.
On the table at the September 26 meeting of council
- 311 services
- The affordable housing development program
- The housing loan program
- 2,000 subsidized child care spaces
- Closure of museums with the least attendance
- Animal pick-up and delivery to shelters
- Reduced service levels for snow clearing, including the windrow clearing program
- Reduced service levels for grass cutting (except for sports fields)
- The sale of city-run zoos and farms (including Black Creek and Toronto Zoo)
- Staff support for community and neighbourhood development programs
- Free garbage bag tag program
- Community environment days
- Toronto Environment Office
- Toronto Atmospheric Fund
- Elimination of Christmas bureau, which has distributed gifts to kids since 1956
- Elimination of the Hardship Fund, which provides special needs items for person not on social assistance
- Public realm’s neighbourhood improvement services
- Street sweeping services, mechanical and manual
- The community partnership and investment program
- Over-the-phone building permit services
On the list of possible cuts in 2012 and 2013 budgets
- Toronto Police Service, including elimination of new hiring, buyouts for those nearing retirement and one-office patrols “in appropriate circumstances.”
- Closure of some public library branches and reduced service levels
- Reduction of TTC service levels, including rolling back service improvements un the ridership growth strategy, changes to the crowding standard and reducing/eliminating night routes (or making it a premium service by raising fares.)
- Reviewing Wheel Trans service levels and developing plans for riders to use conventional transit.
- Review services provided by the planning department
- Cut heritage grants and heritage tax rebate program
- Business services provided by economic development and culture department
- Staff support services to Business Improvement Areas
- Licensing and standards enforcement
- All horticultural activities
- Reducing or eliminating “proactive” investigations and enforcement of illegal signs and sign complaints
- Toronto Public Health dental health program
Agencies the city is planning to divest from or sell off completely
- Exhibition Place
- Toronto Centre for the Arts
- The Sony Centre (formerly the Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts)
- St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
- Toronto Zoo
- Heritage Toronto
- Yonge-Dundas Square board of management
- TTC and Toronto Parking authority street lots and garages
What’s up for further study
- Community programs for long term care and the sale of long term care facilities owned by the city
- The elimination and/or outsourcing of non-emergency EMS services
- Reviewing business and governance models for community centres and city arenas (can u say privatize?)
- City’s licensing system “to assess the ongoing public benefit of licensing categories.”
- Review of the city’s forestry service plan and tree canopy goals
- The establishment of a regional economic development agency
- Administrative costs of public art program
- The outsourcing 311 services
- The outsourcing of city IT functions
