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Mayor Rob Ford led the executive committee Thursday in putting almost $7 million in spending into the city?s 2013 budget.
Ford?s spending spree ? funded by shifting around $6.8 million within the city?s budget and a housing reserve fund ? came after the mayor trumpeted his administration?s accomplishments in ?getting the job done? when it came to the city?s finances over the last two years.
Committee members voted to spend on a laundry list of measures raised by some councillors as crucial to garnering their support for this year?s budget. The new spending includes $3 million for the city to hire 15 fire prevention officers and 20 firefighters; $200,000 for Toronto Public Health?s student nutrition program; $2.8 million to hire 40 paramedics; $200,000 for an inflationary increase in the Toronto Public Library collection materials budget; and around $500,000 to restore leaf collection service.
?This is great news for the taxpayers,? Ford said following the meeting. ?I truly believe this is the best budget in Toronto?s history. People are better off this year than they were two years ago.?
Ford was adamant he isn?t willing to make further changes when council meets to debate final approval for the budget next week.
?This is final. Yeah, absolutely. I?m not going to touch the surplus,? he said. ?If someone moves a motion to take money from the surplus, I?m not going to support it.?
Councillors Josh Colle and Ana Bailao said they felt Thursday?s changes addressed several major concerns raised by the six to nine councillors in the political middle.
?I think he?s listening to what our issues have been,? Bailao said. ?We?ve seen those issues addressed here.?
The push to hire more fire prevention officers came after Toronto Fire Chief Jim Sales warned the committee during a closed door session Thursday that a preliminary 2012 fire underwriters? report raised concerns over a lack of ?pre-incident planning? and warned a reduction in grade could be coming for the city?s commercial properties. Sales said he has requested a 12-month extension from the survey to deliver a pre-incident planning program and try to maintain the city?s commercial property rating.
Councillor Mike Layton predicted a fight at council over the remaining proposed cuts to Toronto Fire including the closing of one fire station and the elimination of a second truck from four other stations.
?I have serious concerns about the budget,? he said.
Councillor Gord Perks said he hopes councillors will ?stand up for building a great city that?s inclusive and provides excellent services? next week.
?It has been a while since council has done that,? he said.
Budget Chief Mike Del Grande was notably absent from the room during the budget votes.
?I?ve been done this road before. Executive committee adds more spending and then it goes to council and these guys go nuts at council,? Del Grande said.
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/01/10/mayor-rob-ford-spearheads-spending-spree-at-city-hall
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