The City of Toronto announced sweeping municipal cuts on Friday totaling $83 million in a "cost containment" effort by city council to solve the financial woes of the municipality.

City departments were left scrambling after council ordered all agencies to cut services in order to save cash-strapped Toronto $100 million.

Some of the cuts to services include:

  • Community centres will be closed every Monday
  • Libraries will be closed every Sunday
  • Snow removal services will be reduced
  • Yard waste removal services will be cut back
  • The number of bylaw officers will be reduced and the city will implement a hiring freeze
  • The opening of artificial ice rinks will be postponed until January

Planned renovations for the mayor's office, totalling $1.2 million, will be postponed

An estimated $34 million will be cut from this year's current budget. City departments submitted proposed cuts to council on Wednesday.

The City of Toronto faces a budget shortfall next year of $575 million.

City manager Shirley Hoy made the announcement at noon on Friday and said the 2007 budget reductions should continue into next year.

"The measures taken together are necessary to address the impact of not having the revenues required to provide the basic municipal services," Hoy said Friday during a press conference at city hall.

Mayor David Miller has argued the city's fiscal problems could have been alleviated had council voted in a proposed land transfer tax and vehicle registration fee rather than deferring the vote until after the October provincial election.

The new taxes would have raised $350 million for the city.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said in July that it was unacceptable for Toronto City Council to ignore the new taxing powers the province provided while the threat of a financial crisis loomed.

Miller took the opportunity on Friday to also criticize council for deferring the tax vote.

"The City of Toronto Act revenue tools was an appropriate way for council to act because it would solve our short term challenges and in a couple of years as more uploading happens it would allow us revenue to invest to support the growth to transit and the environment in our vulnerable neighbourhoods," Miller said.

Hoy reiterated the familiar call for the province to upload much of the financial burden it has placed on the city.

"The long-term sustainable solution to the city's financial challenges must include three strategies. The province of Ontario should pay the true cost of their programs, the province should resume permanent operating budget support for the TTC and finally the city must obtain new and diverse sources of revenues," Hoy said.

Miller also slammed the province saying the downloading that occurred a decade ago has crippled the city.

"Because of the size of our social services and the size of our transit system, the downloading that happened a decade ago were hurts much more here. That's our challenge," Miller said.

Councillors react to the cuts

Council chambers erupted in a shouting match Friday with councillors throwing harsh words at each other.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, a long-time conservative opponent of Miller, and Councillor Adam Vaughan berated each other with absentee accusations that quickly turned into a shouting match amoung city representatives.

"Go tell the residents of North York Denzil that they're not going to get their driveways plowed out this year," Councillor Howard Moscoe shouted at Minnan-Wong during the confrontation.

"For all the seniors and people with heart conditions, it was a bad decision."

Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker erupted at Minnan-Wong, accusing him of being in favour of the controversial downloading from the province.

"Your premier Mike Harris destroyed this city. Ten years Denzil, for ten years, Mike Harris downloaded hundreds of millions of dollars on this city and we're going to shut down that subway because of you and your irresponsible actions.

We want a city that protects people, not one that closes down subways, closes down community centres, and closes down libraries. That's your city, that's Mike Harris' city. Congratulations Denzil, you did a good job," De Baeremaeker said.

CUPE local 416 president Brian Cochrane was visibly upset about the cuts which jeopardize employment for 1,700 union members employed part-time with the city.

"We now see ourselves in a position where a number or our members are adversely affected. I worry about their future, deeply," Cochrane said inside council chamber on Friday.

"I really think that we are in serious, serious trouble in terms of the quality of life in the city and employment. That's where my heart is and that's where I live on a daily basis."

With a report from CTV's Desmond Brown