Toronto mayor considers outside expert panel to review city spending
Pursued by a drumbeat of criticism that the city is poorly managed, Mayor David Miller is seriously considering the recruitment of a panel of outside experts to assess how well tax dollars are spent.
The potential review panel – a mix of business, non-profit and labour interests – is part of the mayor's wider offensive to rally support for his tax plan that goes to council Oct. 22, after it was initially rebuffed in July.
“I am thinking about a number of different options,” he said Wednesday, with a decision expected next week.
“It is abundantly clear and demonstrated again and again that for a big organization we do a pretty good job,” Mr. Miller said, citing efficiency and other awards won by the city. “How do we validate that?”
As he tries to win public support and build a political consensus at council for his controversial tax plan – his goal is to get more than the minimum 23 votes needed for victory – Mr. Miller is convinced the main challenge is to communicate better how the city minds the taxpayer's dollar.
“People want it to be clear that their city government is run properly,” he said earlier this week, after attending a town hall meeting in Etobicoke where residents grilled him on city spending and new taxes. “That is something we need to do a better job demonstrating.”
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Renewed confrontation is expected today as Toronto's badly split city council meets for the first time since July to wrestle with service cuts and proposed new taxes.
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