turini2
Active Member
Oh to be a fly on the wall...
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- Thread starter DSCToronto
- Start date
Oh to be a fly on the wall...
Northern Light
Superstar
Busy as ever, I see (Chrystia); she was in Davos just a couple of days ago. But home in time to have Olivia over for a chat on the weekend. LOL
elcorrerador
Active Member
Got to keep yourself busy if you want to be the future PM
EddyMCD
Active Member
lol, wonder if Freeland caved on the 250 million request.
afransen
Senior Member
At this rate she might be the future Kim Campbell.
Jonny5
Senior Member
There are rumours she will be looked at for the next Secretary General of NATO. The current office holder will be leaving October 1 after serving for ten years, an unusually long term for the job which averages about five years.
She has some good contemporary credentials for the job including her Ukranian heritage, and also she can speak that language and passable French and apparently Italian too. Also there has never been a woman or any Canadian holding that position in history and there's some pressure to change both of those.
The item against her is Canada not meeting that 2% of GDP on defence goal during her long tenure as a senior cabinet minister, though the counter is she can push for it as NATO SG.
But it's a nice gig. 315,000 Euros/year, lots of expenses covered, and you are essentially recognised globally as equivalent to the president/prime minister of a nation, and are treated as such on any travel.
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afransen
Senior Member
Interesting interview with U of T planning professor Matti Siemiatycki.
Northern Light
Superstar
Many of you will be familiar with IMIT grants that rebate a portion of property taxes for a period of several years to induce certain types of development.
@Amare and I, among others have taken issue w/this program, which has certainly had the appearance of giving a good deal of money to projects that would have been built anyway, based on market conditions.
The latest report looking at the program goes to next week's Executive Ctte.
Should it be approved, it will make material changes.
From the above:
I agree with the general direction of the changes above, in particular limited support for new office (likely a non-issue for a few years anyway); and implementing a sunset clause so that beneficiaries can't 'bank' an approval.
@Amare and I, among others have taken issue w/this program, which has certainly had the appearance of giving a good deal of money to projects that would have been built anyway, based on market conditions.
The latest report looking at the program goes to next week's Executive Ctte.
Should it be approved, it will make material changes.
From the above:
I agree with the general direction of the changes above, in particular limited support for new office (likely a non-issue for a few years anyway); and implementing a sunset clause so that beneficiaries can't 'bank' an approval.
Amare
Senior Member
Absolute fantastic find @Northern Light and i'm very happy to read about the quite significant amount of change proposed to the IMIT program!
Over the past decade there have been numerous large firms who have been able to milk this program without restraint while full while knowing they didnt need to, but they were able to because of how convenient the program was and how easy it was to access these grants. I've had very strong words regarding this program in the past and i've stated it should be outright eliminated in the downtown core because it's essentially providing free money for firms who would've built in the core irrespective of if the grant was around or not.
There are several things I love about the proposed changes:
-The narrowing of eligibility for office developments is fantastic (although the effect will be a bit mute for the foreseeable future because of the downturn in the office market),
- Simplifying the extensive list of sectors the could qualify is great so the city isnt giving out blanket grants to sectors who in no way need the benefits,
- Scrutinizing and severely limiting/eliminating IMIT grants for the downtown core while being flexible to extend grants outside the core is something i've been calling for and it's great to see the city finally looked into this
- The elimination of the Enhanced Grants is great, it was a needless free money piss away and in my eyes low-hanging fruit that should've long been eliminated
This is the kind of stuff our municipal government needs to do, and i'm glad the current administration has the guts to do what was a long needed change. The previous status quo administration (*cough John Tory*) was a joke for not changing this program and frankly the city was being exploited financially.
For those who arent quite familiar with the program, the changes that are listed are quite substantial and they'll all benefit the city tremendously without costing the city a dime.
Northern Light
Superstar
In looking at the budget briefing notes that came forward today for Budget Ctte wrap-up, this caught my eye:
From: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-242548.pdf
I consider the above reasonable. I'm still trying to reconcile that with 11.9M budgeted for work on the washrooms at Bluffer's Park though. (there are 2 or 3 sets), any which way that's 4-6M per washroom.
On the basis of the above, 126 washrooms remain to be winterized, at a median cost of $450,000 each, this would be a budget of $56, 700, 000 ; delivered systematically, over 5 years, just over 11M per year, a very do-able number.
We clearly need more washrooms in parks, in TTC and elsewhere; I don't have a precise number in mind, but for argument's sake, 100 additional washrooms in parks at a cost of 1.1M each would be 110M; delivered over 10 years, also 11M per year.
There are so many important investments that this City needs, in housing, in transit and so much more; that said, sometimes a comparatively small investment can be seen and appreciated in a way that allows people to support greater taxation to help finance the larger problems.
From: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-242548.pdf
I consider the above reasonable. I'm still trying to reconcile that with 11.9M budgeted for work on the washrooms at Bluffer's Park though. (there are 2 or 3 sets), any which way that's 4-6M per washroom.
On the basis of the above, 126 washrooms remain to be winterized, at a median cost of $450,000 each, this would be a budget of $56, 700, 000 ; delivered systematically, over 5 years, just over 11M per year, a very do-able number.
We clearly need more washrooms in parks, in TTC and elsewhere; I don't have a precise number in mind, but for argument's sake, 100 additional washrooms in parks at a cost of 1.1M each would be 110M; delivered over 10 years, also 11M per year.
There are so many important investments that this City needs, in housing, in transit and so much more; that said, sometimes a comparatively small investment can be seen and appreciated in a way that allows people to support greater taxation to help finance the larger problems.
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Northern Light
Superstar
While I'm here, Budget Ctte has now wrapped. The motion made by Budget Chief Councillor Carroll closes out this part of the process, but there will be further changes before the Mayor presents the budget as it will go to Council.
Before we get to the latter though, the motion is question is worth a closer look as it gives some indication of changes coming:
Lots to chew on...............but I think a few things are noteworthy, an expressed desire to reinstate windrow service; the need to lower the multi-residential tax increase so as not to trigger AGIs (above guideline increases) from landlords would be my top two.
Some other stuff of note that will impact next year's budget.......but we'll leave that for another post.
* One bonus item; the report on a City Parking tax goes to the February 29th meeting of Executive Ctte
Before we get to the latter though, the motion is question is worth a closer look as it gives some indication of changes coming:
Lots to chew on...............but I think a few things are noteworthy, an expressed desire to reinstate windrow service; the need to lower the multi-residential tax increase so as not to trigger AGIs (above guideline increases) from landlords would be my top two.
Some other stuff of note that will impact next year's budget.......but we'll leave that for another post.
* One bonus item; the report on a City Parking tax goes to the February 29th meeting of Executive Ctte
generalcanada
Senior Member
so its uh january 26. still no word from the feds about the 250 mil right?
thats when the budget chief said she needed word right?
so 16% it is?
thats when the budget chief said she needed word right?
so 16% it is?
Northern Light
Superstar
It is not set just yet. You'll hear the Mayor's budget proposal in just over 2 weeks.
generalcanada
Senior Member
So she bluffed? that wasnt a hard date?
evandyk
Senior Member
I think anything relating to tax increases should go on Mayor John Tory's thread.