Another clear sign of the political divisions at city hall is the official cone of silence that has greeted the current provincial election – even though city council deferred a vote on new taxes so that the provincial parties could be held to account.
In essence, city council can reject the taxes Mayor David Miller proposes. But councillors can't force the mayor to challenge or oppose Dalton McGuinty, John Tory or Howard Hampton.
The result is a free ride for the provincial parties at precisely the time they should be subjected to the harshest criticism and examination.
Such is the unfortunate dysfunction at city hall.
Almost to a person, city councillors say the downloading of costs from the provincial government is the single most significant cost pressure on the city's near-$8 billion budget and the annual shortfall of between $400 million and $600 million.
Yet, the mayor is almost mute at a time when Torontonians are about to help decide who governs at Queen's Park.
Two weeks ago the mayor and his council allies held a news conference to rally Torontonians. Against whom? The Progressive Conservative party for masterminding the most dangerous elements of the downloading under Mike Harris? For the Howard Hampton New Democrats, who have the most city-friendly campaign policies? Against the premier and his party for not moving quickly enough to ease the fiscal burden?
No. No. No. The rally was called to fight his own councillors, the ones who challenged the mayor's proposed new taxes – taxes the mayor says we wouldn't need if the province pays for the services it forces the city to provide.
Days later another rally in Nathan Phillips Square had the same target in mind – city councillors opposed to the land transfer tax and vehicle registration tax.
Meanwhile, there is an election going on. It's the only opportunity in four years or so to have a direct impact on how Toronto is treated by the province. And city hall is impotent, hamstrung, voiceless, invisible – fighting a battle the mayor has already won.
For come Oct. 22, city council will vote in favour of the new taxes. The alternative – to do nothing and watch services chopped to pieces – will be too painful to contemplate, especially after the experience of these past few months.
If community centres and libraries and skating rinks closed in a ham-fisted and blunt attempt to find $35 million in savings, imagine the carnage required to save hundreds of millions of budget dollars. Council will do the only possible thing and approve the taxes.
In fact, the vote would be a landslide, if only the mayor would give a little and offer up some council perks to a public furious they've been asked for more, while councillors refuse to tighten their own belts.
So, tragically, our city hall leaders started too late laying out the case for the new taxes, botched the vote, and must now spend enormous effort in a rearguard attempt to do what should have been completed over the past few years.
For make no mistake, the new taxes, even if passed, will do nothing to build our city. Rather, they will stave off bankruptcy. For a time. Soon, city hall will come calling for more – unless the province picks up much more of the costs for social services and housing.
City staff have made it clear the nearly $350 million in proposed new taxes is needed to replace the annual draw from reserve funds, now depleted.
So, we're left fighting yesterday's battles – ill-equipped to tackle larger, more dangerous ones on the horizon.
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