Mayor Rob Ford has given the police service a budget break he has not given the TTC, fire service, or any other city department or agency.
For 2012, Ford and city manager Joe Pennachetti have demanded a 10 per cent budget cut from every city entity’s 2011 budget. But Ford endorsed Police Chief Bill Blair’s request for a 0.6 per cent increase over the 2011 police budget — $936 million, up from $930 million.
Blair and Ford’s allies say his proposal, approved by the police board Thursday, amounts to a 4.6 per cent reduction. That is only true if it’s compared with Blair’s “2012 starting budget” figure, $979 million, which incorporated $23 million in salary increases and $26 million in other new expenses. No other city entity has been permitted to begin its budget exercise at such a favourable starting point.
The police service, long a political third rail, is far from the only entity facing rising costs.
The TTC, for example, identified $39 million in new expenses for 2012, thanks to increases in salaries, energy costs, vehicle maintenance costs and other factors. Yet it was forced to come up with a 2012 budget that assumed the city would slash its annual subsidy by 10 per cent, or $46 million.
That budget included a major reduction in bus service and a cut of 1,000 employees — slightly more than the number of police officers and employees Blair warned he would have to lay off if he were forced to cut 10 per cent.
The TTC chair, Ford ally Councillor Karen Stintz, would not answer directly Thursday when asked if the city should have granted the TTC the same latitude.
“We were all given a direction by the mayor’s office, and we were advised that our subsidy was going to be cut by 10 per cent. And we had to figure out our budget within that constraint,” Stintz said. “The difference is, we’re an agency that can charge a user fee. Obviously we wouldn’t have made up the entire (lost) subsidy with higher fares, but we are in a different situation than the police.”
Leaders of other city entities no doubt took an intense interest in Ford’s concession to Blair — most of all Fire Chief Bill Stewart. Stewart, voicing concerns nearly identical to Blair’s, has said a 10 per cent cut, of $37 million, would force him to lay off 400 firefighters and endanger public safety. Following Blair’s example, he may now stick to his hard line and dare Ford to call his bluff.
“There’s no doubt that all the agencies, boards and commissions will be looking at what the police services board has done,” said Councillor Janet Davis, a Ford critic. “It’s certainly sending a message to them that 10 per cent can’t necessarily be achieved — and won’t necessarily be required.”
Stewart declined comment Thursday. Ed Kennedy, president of the firefighters’ union, said it would be unfair if the fire department was forced to make deep cuts while the police service was not.
Even if Ford holds firm with Stewart, his agreement with Blair may prompt Pennachetti to seek deeper cuts from city departments he can directly control. Pennachetti warned in an August interview that, if council did not require a 10 per cent cut from police and fire, “it will be worse for the other services that Torontonians said ... are dear to their hearts.”
The library budget also remains unfinished. While the library board is now chaired by a Ford ally, Councillor Paul Ainslie, and composed mostly of citizen members vetted by the administration, the board could theoretically decline to accept the Sunday closures and reductions to opening hours that the chief librarian says are necessary to achieve the 10 per cent cut of $17 million.
Crime in Toronto is at the mid-70s levels.
Police respond to 30% FEWER calls than in 1991.
Toronto has 50% more police officers per capita than Hamilton/Wentworth, Peel, York, and Durham regions.
The TPSB gladly and hurriedly(with Mayor Ford's blessing and urging) granted the Toronto cops a hefty 11.5% pay increase over 4 years even though fiscal doomsday is allegedly upon us.
Every other city dept and agency and all taxpayers will pay with blood and treasure.
None of this matters because OUR COPS ARE TOPS.
For 2012, Ford and city manager Joe Pennachetti have demanded a 10 per cent budget cut from every city entity’s 2011 budget. But Ford endorsed Police Chief Bill Blair’s request for a 0.6 per cent increase over the 2011 police budget — $936 million, up from $930 million.
Blair and Ford’s allies say his proposal, approved by the police board Thursday, amounts to a 4.6 per cent reduction. That is only true if it’s compared with Blair’s “2012 starting budget” figure, $979 million, which incorporated $23 million in salary increases and $26 million in other new expenses. No other city entity has been permitted to begin its budget exercise at such a favourable starting point.
The police service, long a political third rail, is far from the only entity facing rising costs.
The TTC, for example, identified $39 million in new expenses for 2012, thanks to increases in salaries, energy costs, vehicle maintenance costs and other factors. Yet it was forced to come up with a 2012 budget that assumed the city would slash its annual subsidy by 10 per cent, or $46 million.
That budget included a major reduction in bus service and a cut of 1,000 employees — slightly more than the number of police officers and employees Blair warned he would have to lay off if he were forced to cut 10 per cent.
The TTC chair, Ford ally Councillor Karen Stintz, would not answer directly Thursday when asked if the city should have granted the TTC the same latitude.
“We were all given a direction by the mayor’s office, and we were advised that our subsidy was going to be cut by 10 per cent. And we had to figure out our budget within that constraint,” Stintz said. “The difference is, we’re an agency that can charge a user fee. Obviously we wouldn’t have made up the entire (lost) subsidy with higher fares, but we are in a different situation than the police.”
Leaders of other city entities no doubt took an intense interest in Ford’s concession to Blair — most of all Fire Chief Bill Stewart. Stewart, voicing concerns nearly identical to Blair’s, has said a 10 per cent cut, of $37 million, would force him to lay off 400 firefighters and endanger public safety. Following Blair’s example, he may now stick to his hard line and dare Ford to call his bluff.
“There’s no doubt that all the agencies, boards and commissions will be looking at what the police services board has done,” said Councillor Janet Davis, a Ford critic. “It’s certainly sending a message to them that 10 per cent can’t necessarily be achieved — and won’t necessarily be required.”
Stewart declined comment Thursday. Ed Kennedy, president of the firefighters’ union, said it would be unfair if the fire department was forced to make deep cuts while the police service was not.
Even if Ford holds firm with Stewart, his agreement with Blair may prompt Pennachetti to seek deeper cuts from city departments he can directly control. Pennachetti warned in an August interview that, if council did not require a 10 per cent cut from police and fire, “it will be worse for the other services that Torontonians said ... are dear to their hearts.”
The library budget also remains unfinished. While the library board is now chaired by a Ford ally, Councillor Paul Ainslie, and composed mostly of citizen members vetted by the administration, the board could theoretically decline to accept the Sunday closures and reductions to opening hours that the chief librarian says are necessary to achieve the 10 per cent cut of $17 million.
Crime in Toronto is at the mid-70s levels.
Police respond to 30% FEWER calls than in 1991.
Toronto has 50% more police officers per capita than Hamilton/Wentworth, Peel, York, and Durham regions.
The TPSB gladly and hurriedly(with Mayor Ford's blessing and urging) granted the Toronto cops a hefty 11.5% pay increase over 4 years even though fiscal doomsday is allegedly upon us.
Every other city dept and agency and all taxpayers will pay with blood and treasure.
None of this matters because OUR COPS ARE TOPS.
