Mayoral candidate John Tory is slamming Mayor Rob Ford for failing to protect Toronto’s taxpayers after Toronto Hydro announced plans for a proposed five-year rate hike right before the start of the August long weekend.
The proposed plan, submitted to the Ontario Energy Board by Toronto Hydro on Friday evening, looks to increase rates by about 2.5 per cent by 2015. The city-owned utility company said the proposal is part of a $4 billion investment plan to help improve Toronto’s aging electricity grid and assets.
In a statement released on Sunday, Tory slammed Toronto Hydro for announcing the plans right before the start of the long weekend, claiming the move demonstrates a lack of transparency.
“Toronto Hydro should know better than to release important news of a rate increase application on the cusp of a summer long weekend,” Tory said.
The mayoral candidate also pointed the finger at Ford, claiming that the mayor is too distracted to protect the interests of taxpayers.
“Instead of keeping an eye on it, Rob Ford and his brother Doug are too busy picking fights with the police, media and others arising from Rob’s alleged associations with criminals. The result is that the mayor is clearly not watching out for the interests of taxpayers and ratepayers – as he repeatedly, and falsely, claims he is,” Tory said.
Ford responded to Tory’s attacks during an event at city hall on Sunday, saying that while he has no influence over hydro rates in the city, the proposed hikes are necessary to offset costs Toronto Hydro incurred during the brutal ice storm this winter.
“You got to the respect that…they swallowed their cost in the ice storm and if you’re going to upgrade and you’re going to fix stuff, where are they going to get the money from?,” Ford told CP24.
The mayor said he was made aware of the proposed plan by Toronto Hydro President and CEO Anthony Haines on Friday and was concerned by the news.
“I was very upset when I heard that, I wish I had control over the hydro but I don’t,” he said.
“Anthony Haines explained it to me quite clearly on Friday. The worst case scenario is two and a half per cent. Do I support it? Of course I don’t support it. What you’re going to do? Have blackouts and blackouts?” he said.
Ford also dismissed criticism of Toronto Hydro’s decision to reveal its plan right before the long weekend.
“They had to do it and it has nothing to do with the long weekend, it’s completely irrelevant,” he said.
Other candidates weigh in
Mayoral hopeful Olivia Chow voiced her concerns regarding the proposed tax hikes during an event in Toronto on Sunday.
“Mayor Ford has a lot of explaining to do about why the hydro rate needs to go up and he has even more explaining to do about the excessive salaries and benefits that some of these executives are getting,” Chow said.
“I thought he is to cut gravy. There is a lot of gravy in there and if you have that much gravy in hydro why are you raising the rates?”
David Socknaki said placing blame on Ford is misguided, noting that hydro rates are set by the province and Toronto Hydro officials, not the city.
“I think that that’s rubbish,” Socknacki said. “The city has no jurisdiction on what the rates are and so it makes absolutely no sense to blame anyone other than the province, or blame the board of Toronto Hydro,” he said.
Toronto Hydro said the proposed hike is expected to increase the total bill for Toronto customers by an average of three per cent, or $3.54 per month.
The proposal is subject to approval by the Ontario Board of Energy.
With files from CP24
