Every major columnist in the GTA has come to the same assessment and you have have to wonder what it will take to make the citizens of Toronto take to the streets demanding the recall of Miller and/or appointing a provincial mediator to run the affairs of the city.
The Post editorial board: Toronto's problem at the top
| But as Toronto's City Council descends into a political circus, with a Mayor accused of acting like a dictator and histrionic councillors nearly coming to blows over fiscal issues, Toronto's woes are no longer a laughing matter. Indeed, the shenanigans that lately have come to dominate city council are rendering the city's government dysfunctional. The city's descent into political confusion began early this year, when Mayor Miller proposed new taxes that would raise $350-million annually, monies that would be used to fill what the Mayor claims is a $550-million-plus budget shortfall caused by the downloading of provincial services on to the city in the 1990s. Mr. Miller's main tax proposals entailed a new land-transfer tax that would eat into the equity of homeowners when they sold their homes, and a tax on vehicles. At the same time, the Mayor made no effort to rein in spending, encourage much-needed privatization of city operations, confront the unions, or put City Hall's own house in order. When Mr. Miller brought his proposals before council, a majority there decided it was better to defer the vote to raise taxes till the fall and, as an alternative, attempt to shake down Ontario's provincial parties for more money while they vied for votes in the Oct. 10 provincial election. In July, the vote on increasing taxes was deferred and Mayor Miller immediately demanded $34-million in cuts to city services, a politically unpopular move that was interpreted as payback for council's refusal to play ball. Mr. Miller instructed the city manager, a civil servant, to make the cuts herself, rather than city council. This resulted in proposals to reduce a range of services, including those offered at community centres and libraries that disproportionately serve seniors and young children. Further rancour resulted when it was learned that the full-time union staff at the affected facilities (represented by CUPE 416, whose members are strong supporters of Mayor Miller) will still be paid their regular wages, even though they will not provide the same services. This left many Toronto residents believing that Mayor Miller wants to use kids and seniors to force through his tax increases -- even as he coddled union workers by giving them, in essence, money for nothing. Adding more fuel to the fire was the undemocratic way the proposed cuts to services were arrived at. Toronto Councillor Michael Walker went so far as to hire an experienced municipal lawyer from one of the country's top firms to determine if the Mayor could bypass council and ask the city manager to amend the budget and cut services. The legal opinion was unambiguous: "The City of Toronto Act, 2006, specifically prohibits the city manager from making these decisions because Section 22 of the Act prohibits the delegation of those decisions to anyone." The Mayor's response has been to brush off the legal opinion, saying the city manager is "acting within her authority." On Monday, the revolt against Mayor Miller began to spread across city council. As the crisis deepened, where was the mayor? Blue-skying about climate change at an environmental convention in Utah. Toronto needs a mayor who can rise above the pettiness that is taking hold of Toronto council, who respects democracy, and who can build consensus. Mayor Miller could begin that process today by refocusing council's attention on its core business -- policing, transportation and cost effective community services driven by a commitment to achieve value for money. It's not just the Mayor's future that is at stake if he fails, but Toronto's too. |
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