XPost: can.politics, tor.general   
   From: Raisa@nyet.ca   
      
   The Globe and Mail - Tuesday, Jan. 20 2015   
      
      
   The winners in Tory’s proposed budget, and where the money is coming from   
      
   Toronto Mayor John Tory revealed his first budget on Tuesday. Here is a look at   
   which departments are set to benefit most, and how those projects would be   
   financed.   
      
      
   Transit   
      
   Under the proposal, the TTC would receive an additional $38-million in its   
   operating budget towards service improvements, including reductions in wait   
   time, new express services, and expanded overnight services for buses and   
   streetcars.   
      
      
   Shelter and housing   
      
   The budget pledges almost $8-million in additional funding towards shelters and   
   homelessness, including the opening of 181 shelter beds, and two new 24-hour   
   drop-in centres for women. The budget also calls for an additional $2.2-million   
   towards “strategic initiatives” in poverty reduction.   
      
      
   Parks, forestry and‎ recreation   
      
   The department would see an extra $8-million, with much of it allocated towards   
   state of good repair for existing facilities. The funds would also go towards   
   building or expanding 13 new community centres, as well as the completion of   
   the Regent Park Community Centre.   
      
      
   Emergency services prevention and response   
      
   The city’s emergency services prevention and response would receive   
   $4.6-million in new investments, including the hiring of 56 new paramedics.   
   Where the money is coming from   
      
      
   Transit fare hike   
      
   In order to pay for $95-million in promised transit improvements, Mayor Tory   
   announced this week that he would hike transit fares by ten cents.  The move,   
   he said, would result in $43-million in additional revenue for the transit   
   commission.   
      
      
   Garbage rates   
      
   Currently, the city rebates back a portion of the bin fees homeowners pay for   
   garbage collection. The budget would decrease that rebate, saving the city   
   $18-million. Homeowners, meanwhile, will pay anywhere from just under $4 to   
   $126 more per year, depending on the size of their bin.   
      
      
   W‎ater rates   
      
   The budget proposes to raise water rates yet again – by eight per cent for   
   the   
   next two years, and then five per-cent for 2017-2018.   
      
      
   User fees   
      
   The budget relies in part on $14-million in user fee increases.  The price of   
   renting ice rink time, for example, is expected to go up by seven per cent,   
   while the fee for using premiere sports facilities would go up by over 12 per   
   cent.   
      
      
   Breaking down transit funding   
      
   TTC   
      
   - budget to increase by 7 per cent in 2015, to $1.814-billion   
      
   - money to hire 802 more people   
      
   - bus fleet growing by 50, starting late in 2015, at a cost of $13.9-million   
      
   - Subway service will be boosted by $4.5-million   
      
   - Overnight surface routes will be expanded at cost of $900,000   
      
   - Fares will be eliminated for children under 13 at projected cost of   
   $5.4-million   
      
      
   Transportation Services   
      
   - Gardiner Expressway repairs are to get $433-million more, with the promise   
   that this will reduce the project by eight years   
      
   - A $90-million expansion of the city’s bicycle network   
      
   - Stiffer fees for blocking lanes during construction expected to raise   
   $1.3-million   
      
      
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            Loyalty to the country always.   Loyalty to the government when it   
   deserves it.    ~   Mark Twain   
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