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Jan 11 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
The Star has you covered on what was a busy budget day at city hall. Here's @alysanmati and @dmrider on how a historically high 7% property tax increase will still leave the city with a $933M shortfall in 2023 thestar.com/news/gta/2023/…
Here's @alysanmati with a breakdown of what the budget will mean for average Torontonians, including paying a bit more for transit, water, and garbage pickup: thestar.com/news/gta/2023/…
And @dmrider sifts through the details to pull out some notable nuggets, including a 37.5% boost to the mayor's office budget at a time city departments are getting below-inflationary increases thestar.com/news/city_hall…
And here's me, on how this budget could finally spell the end of a city program long criticized as a gross inequity thestar.com/news/gta/2023/…

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More from @BenSpurr

Ben Spurr Profile picture
Aug 15, 2022
From @dmrider and me: Doug Ford's "strong-mayor" plan would give Toronto's mayor a veto over council. But the new law says it could only be used to advance provincial priorities, which experts say could keep the city beholden to Queen's Park thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
Under the strong mayor law, the province would define its priorities through regulations. Aside from budget matters, the mayor could only use the veto if they thought it would advance the prescribed priority.
Similarly, the new power that would allow the mayor bring proposals directly to council would also be contingent on the proposal advancing one of the province's defined priorities.
Read 10 tweets
Ben Spurr Profile picture
Jan 24, 2022
Exclusive in today's Star: Metrolinx appointed a private consultant to a VP role at the agency, and awarded his firm valuable government work while he was in the role thestar.com/news/investiga…
Metrolinx says there was nothing improper about its relationship with the consultant, Brian Guest, or his firm, which is called Boxfish. The agency says it routinely appoints consultants to titles within the agency in order to make use of private sector expertise.
Metrolinx also says it didn't pay Guest a salary while he was in a VP role. Instead, its agreement was with his firm. They said there was never any conflict of interest and he had no influence over contracts going to his firm.
Read 7 tweets
Ben Spurr Profile picture
Oct 12, 2021
This is where there may or may not be fare gates installed. That will be up to TTC, which will operate the line when it’s done. If gates not installed, riders will pay before before boarding and be subject to fare inspection on vehicles.
The train.
The Crosstown will operate with two-car trains on opening day, although three-car trains are possible. These are the next generation Bombardier (now Alstom) model of TTC streetcars, with a few differences: no Presto machines, doors on both sides.
Read 11 tweets
Ben Spurr Profile picture
Oct 12, 2021
At Science Centre station at Eglinton and Don Mills for a media tour of the Crosstown LRT. We’re going to ride a vehicle, but line still a year away from opening. It was supposed to be operational in September, and even that was a deferred date.
Station is 90% complete. Media all have to do rapid Covid test before tour can start. Crosslinx, the company building the line, has had a number of outbreaks over the course of the pandemic.
Distance from train platform to bus terminal above is significant. Train platform is one storey below on the left of this pic. To get from there to buses is a walk of a few hundreds metres (I think) through the tunnel on the right, then up escalators/stairs.
Read 4 tweets
Ben Spurr Profile picture
Feb 16, 2021
Noel Francis Chantiam bought the property next to King City GO station for $750,000 in 1999. Metrolinx has expropriated title to the land because it needs to expand the station. Its offer to Chantiam? Just $1. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
According to court records, Metrolinx appraised Chantiam's property at $2.1M but determined it was contaminated and cleaning it up will cost more than that. Chantiam is fighting the expropriation, arguing Metrolinx has failed to make a good faith offer. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
The King City case is an unusually messy expropriation dispute. But it's worth watching because in the coming years Metrolinx will move to acquire hundreds of GTA properties as it expands the transit network. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
Read 10 tweets
Ben Spurr Profile picture
Dec 10, 2020
Mayor Tory's executive committee now debating update on transit plans. As we reported last week, projected cost of already unfunded Eglinton East LRT has doubled, raising more doubts about the city's ability to complete the project thestar.com/news/gta/2020/…
Coupled with the news @jpags reported this morning, that the Scarborough subway won't be complete before the Scarborough RT has to be shut down, and well, things aren't looking great for rapid transit in east Toronto thestar.com/news/city_hall…
The report at committee also includes an update on another orphaned transit project, the East Bayfront LRT. It would serve a rapidly developing waterfront neighbourhood and has been a city priority for years, but is still not funded.
Read 15 tweets

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