Toronto 'cannot wait' until after election for serious talks about COVID-19 shortfall: McKelvie
The City of Toronto “cannot wait” until after the mayoral byelection for serious discussions with the federal government about it’s nearly $1 billion budgetary shortfall due to COVID-19, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie says.
McKelvie made the comment in an open letter sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The letter comes after the federal government failed to include any money to help cover Toronto’s ongoing COVID-19 costs in its budget last week.
The city had been hoping that Ottawa would come forward with $235 million in funding to offset 2022 COVID-19 shortfalls, as well as a commitment for hundreds of million more to help it tackle a $933 million shortfall in its 2023 budget.
“As you know the mayoral byelection begins today and I understand you may want to wait until that campaign is over before taking any action to address Toronto's needs,” McKelvie wrote in the letter. “City council has been clear this cannot wait and voted last week to support my ongoing advocacy to the federal and provincial governments for revenue tools and a new fiscal framework for the City of Toronto. I hope we can rise above politics at this time and jointly recognize this is an urgent situation that cannot wait three months – the City of Toronto cannot wait and the people of Toronto cannot wait.”
The federal government came forward with billions in funding to help municipalities offset their COVID-19 shortfalls in 2020 and 2021 but has not committed to doing so on an ongoing basis.
That, in turn, has left Toronto in a precarious fiscal situation as it continues to see a significant revenue loss as a result of lower TTC ridership.
The city has also seen an increase in refugees and asylum seekers in its shelter system, which has left it footing the bill for the additional cost.
“I fully understand that the Government of Canada is ready to move forward from the pandemic and that you have that ability given your revenues grow with the economy. Our city and municipalities across Canada are still in recovery mode and, as you know, dependent on property taxes and limited revenue tools,” McKelvie wrote in the letter. "I strongly encourage you to make needed investments now in Toronto and cities across Canada so that your economic engines are firing on all cylinders.”
The Ontario budget tabled last month also failed to include any money to help the city offset a loss in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic but McKelvie has said that discussions would continue with Ford government officials.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Arrests made after gunshots fired at Toronto Jewish girls' school
A 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy are facing multiple charges after allegedly firing gunshots at a Jewish girls' school last weekend.
Millions of Cubans lose power after national grid fails
Cuba plunged into a countrywide blackout on Friday after one of the island's major power plants failed and caused the national electrical grid to shut down, its energy ministry said.
Suspect charged in hand-scooping incident at B.C. frozen yogurt shop
Days after a man was recorded walking behind the counter at a frozen yogurt shop in Richmond, B.C., and scooping product with his hand, a suspect has been criminally charged.
There may be less chocolate at the door this Halloween
If you're heading out trick or treating this Halloween, you may end up with more chips, gummies, licorice and other goodies rather than chocolate. Cocoa prices have spiked, and that could be playing a trick with what your kids come home with and what you give out on Halloween night.
SaskPower receives largest workplace fine in province's history for 2020 deaths of employees in Weyburn
SaskPower was sentenced Friday morning in a Weyburn courtroom, receiving a record fine, after being found guilty of three workplace-safety related violations when two experienced employees were killed on the job in 2020.
Toronto to swiftly 'limit activity' near Rogers Centre during Taylor Swift's 6 concerts
Taylor Swift is coming to Toronto and the city is working to shake off its gridlock problems by implementing a '"limited activity zone' around the Rogers Centre during the two-week period when she is scheduled to play six sold-out shows.
Ticketmaster users to be credited for hidden fees in $6M Canadian settlement
Canadian music and sports fans could soon receive Ticketmaster credits after a settlement was reached in a class-action lawsuit.
Family says Uber driver abandoned teenage girl in Metro Vancouver parking lot
A Vancouver mom says she wants Uber to hold one of its drivers accountable for leaving her 14-year-old daughter in a parking lot in Burnaby.
Dog spotted hanging out on top of ancient pyramid in Egypt
While flying over Egypt’s famous Great Pyramids at sunrise earlier this week, U.S. paraglider Marshall Mosher and fellow paragliders spotted the unexpected sight of a stray hound also taking in views around the summit of one of the ancient wonders.