Miller needs to balance budget (en francais)

Toronto Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy takes Mayor David Miller to the woodshed and back again. (see also "Come, take us over" and "The TTC's magic bus")

Seems like Mayor Miller didn't like Toronto Board of Trade President Glen Grunwald's suggestions for balancing Toronto's bleeding red budget. Miller doesn't want to hear any suggestions that don't start and end with yet another bailout from the Province.

Grunwald cites things like a 20% increase in spending, a City Auditors report with over 800 suggestions for efficiency savings languishing on a shelf and a general sense of a lack of prudent management when dealing with the budget. I know - shocking isnt' it. The Mayor's response?

Mayor Miller fouls out
Miller defended his attack. The Board of Trade had not done a proper analysis of the city budget, he said. "For such a sophisticated organization to do such a shoddy job was completely inadequate."

He then went on to note that the Board has "been Toronto's ally ... today's presentation didn't befit the role they have as city builders.

Why the focus on Toronto's budget? With Premier McGuinty set to hand over additional taxing powers to the City of Toronto with no strings attached, how much longer do you think it will be before other municipalities are clamouring for the same thing? Hamilton, London, Kitchener-Waterloo and all the others will want their piece.

Problem is, that piece is you and me and there's only so much of us to go around. Given the choice of making hard decisions to balance a budget or increasing an entertainment tax or hotel tax, what route do you think most councillors are going to choose?

Toronto needs to get it's own budgetary house in order before receiving any new taxing authority, and that authority better have some rather stringent conditions attached. Anything less will be a recipe for disaster.

Other posts on this topic: Miller never saw a dollar he didn't like (to spend)