Doug Ford claims he agrees with Olivia Chow that Toronto demands new deal for funding
Leading Doug Ford states he agrees that the Metropolis of Toronto demands a “new deal” for ongoing funding following keeping a meeting with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow Monday, but included that he’s not in favour of any new taxes that would support Toronto dig alone out of a fiscal gap.
Ford and Chow held a meeting at Queen’s Park Monday in their very first substantive communicate considering the fact that Chow took business earlier this summer season.
Adhering to the assembly, the two reported they experienced agreed to build a “new-deal doing work team with a mandate to realize extensive-phrase stability and sustainability of Toronto’s funds.”
“Toronto’s deep money troubles are no more time sustainable,” Ford said in a statement. “Toronto is a big contributor to Ontario and Canada’s financial accomplishment. Governments want to perform jointly to provide methods that safeguard solutions, keep away from new taxes and place the city on a route toward very long-time period fiscal balance. I appear forward to doing work with Mayor Chow to make a stronger Toronto and ensure it stays an financial engine for Canada.”
Acquiring a new deal for Toronto in terms of sustainable ongoing funding from bigger orders of govt was a crucial marketing campaign determination from Chow, as properly as other candidates all through Toronto’s mayoral race earlier this year. Successive mayors have reported that the federal and provincial governments have chronically starved the town of hard cash although heaping more tasks on to its plate to relieve their very own fiscal pressures.
Toronto Metropolis Council experienced lately voted to take a look at a array of new revenue possibilities to deal with a $1.5 billion shortfall. Some of those people selections, this kind of as a municipal income tax or tolls, would call for provincial approval, on the other hand.
While Ford acknowledged that Toronto needs a new very long-term funding framework, he mentioned he is not in favour of implementing any new taxes or handing the town a slice of the HST.
“I just really don’t believe we really should be boosting taxes in the situation that men and women are feeling the stress on will increase in grocery fees, escalating fuel costs, mortgages,” Ford explained.
For her part, Chow said the “City of Toronto truly doesn’t care in which the income comes from” and mentioned shared obligation for main charges like highways, shelters, little one treatment or community transit could also be a way of aiding the metropolis without the need of utilizing new regional taxes to boost its profits.
Nevertheless she stated “the proportion has to be appropriate. It has to be sustainable.”
The two Ford and Chow reported they want the federal federal government to occur to the desk to be section of the new deal performing team, which group will be built up of general public provider officers from relevant provincial and town ministries and departments.
They mentioned they are hopeful there will be an interim report from the group in November.
TWO LEADERS LAUD Warm TIES
In addition to discussing important joint objectives, the meeting also afforded the two leaders an chance to do some fence-mending.
All through Toronto’s mayoral election, Ford reported a Chow gain would be an “unmitigated disaster” for Toronto. He was forced to backtrack following Chow’s win. Chow in change has been vital of Ford’s plans to revamp Ontario Position with a huge non-public spa and waterpark and to merge it with the Ontario Science Centre on the remaining land at the waterfront.
Nonetheless the two have been all smiles pursuing their conference together Monday.
“I’m below with my buddy, Olivia Chow. We just experienced a excellent dialogue,” Ford mentioned as the two arrived out to talk with reporters. “You know, we’ve known each other for several decades and our family members form of go way, way back.”
Ford recalled a time when his brother Rob Ford and Chow’s late husband Jack Layton were seatmates in the council chamber again when they have been both metropolis councillors.
Regardless of hailing from diverse political ideologies, the two ended up helpful.
“Jack and Rob confirmed that you will not have to agree on every thing to work alongside one another,” Ford mentioned in advance of presenting Chow with a photograph of her and Rob Ford unveiling a statue of Layton jointly.
“I’ve also experienced the enjoyment of acquiring to know the mayor as a considerate chief who delivers individuals together due to the fact which is how you get things performed, by functioning together,” Ford stated. “And Mayor Chow and I are dedicated to operating with each other.
“And while we will not likely often see eye to eye, we will not likely allow our distinctions get in the way of going ahead on points that we agree on, like constructing properties and constructing community transit and critical infrastructure assignments.”
In advance of the assembly the province place out a statement announcing a $42 million dedication to serving to residence asylum seekers, with $26.4 million of that funds going to Toronto.
