Item - 2025.BU8.1

The Budget Committee:

1.  Deferred consideration of item BU8.1 to the January 24, 2025 meeting of the Budget Committee.

2.  Requested budget briefing notes as follows:

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

1. Request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to provide a briefing note on the money the City of Toronto continues to spend on services that are extensions of Provincial and Federal responsibilities.

2. Request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to prepare a briefing note outlining the funds lost annually through:

a. Toronto Transit Commission fare evasion;

b. Toronto Parking Authority parking payment evasion;

c. Non-payment of parking and speeding tickets subject to the Administrative Penalty System (i.e. not issued by police); and

d. Non-payment of tickets issued by Municipal Licensing and Standards officers.

3. Request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to provide a briefing note on the following:

a. Explanation of how debt financing works; and

b. Summary of the overall debt carried by the City.

Corporate Real Estate Management

4. Request the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, to provide a briefing note with data on community space usage in each of the Civic Centres including:

a. Usage on evenings and weekends before and after COVID-19;

b. Summary of average rates paid to book Civic Centres; and

c. Cost to restore staffing on evenings and weekends that would restore community access, providing disaggregated data by Civic Centre location.

Economic Development and Culture

5. Request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to provide a briefing note on work underway to support the green economy, including funding and Full-time equivalents for:

a. The Green Market Acceleration Program;

b. Initiatives in support of individual green businesses;

c. Supports for Toronto’s green economy; and

d. Other relevant programs.

Environment, Climate and Forestry

6. Request the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, to provide a briefing note that identifies any additional actions that could be taken to achieve the City’s TransformTO Net Zero target, with a focus on urban forestry, and any actions identified as high priority through the carbon budget prioritization process, but not included as proposals in the 2025 Budget.

Housing Secretariat 

7. Request the General Manager, Housing Secretariat to provide a briefing note on 2024 actual and 2025 proposed Toronto Tenant Support Program funding and the plan to address the expiring 3-year terms of Toronto Tenant Support Program funded agencies.

8. Request the General Manager, Housing Secretariat to provide a briefing note on the City’s plan to ensure Multi-tenant Housing tenants displaced as a result of Multi-tenant Housing Licencing enforcement are able to avoid homelessness by accessing alternative accommodations, including clarification of the resources in the 2025 budget dedicated to this purpose.

Infrastructure Services

9. Request the General Manager, Toronto Water, the General Manager, Transportation Services, the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and the Director, Strategic Capital Coordination Office, to provide a briefing note update on the Rockcliffe Flood Mitigation Project and associated construction projects in the Rockcliffe-Smythe area, including an overview of planned infrastructure improvements, funding, and construction timing.

Parks and Recreation

10. Request the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to provide a briefing note on proposed indoor and outdoor recreational investments for ice skating, cricket and winterized washrooms, and how these priorities have been advanced with the reallocation of the Gardiner Expressway funding.

11. Request the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the Executive Director, Energy, Climate and Forestry, to provide a briefing note on the current collaboration with the Toronto Nature Stewards for stewardship in Toronto’s ravines and natural areas and the resources required to enhance the program starting in 2025.

12. Request the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to provide a briefing note on a summary of total 2025 funding-source composition for all park renewals and all park rebuilds by percentage and by ward, including a breakdown of both the Section 37 and City funds used.

13. Request the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to provide a briefing note on the following:

a. The number of community centres offering exclusively free programing;

b. The difference in operational costs of free community centres in comparison to fee-based community centres;

c. The number of clients approved for the Welcome Policy; and

d. The number of approved households that used their Welcome Policy allocation.

14. Request the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to provide a briefing note on:

a. the implementation of the recommendations in the Auditor General's report (September 30, 2024) Audit of Parks Branch Operations - Phase 1, and the efficiencies found;

b. the distribution and responsibilities of the 478 net new positions, including:

1. by area (indoor, outdoor);

2. by type (recreation, parks operations, forestry); and

c. if any of the positions are within areas covered by the Auditor General report.

Social Development, Finance and Administration

15. Request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration in collaboration with the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, to provide a briefing note on the programs, funding and full-time equivalents allocated towards food security initiatives, including but not limited to food banks and community gardens.

Toronto Police Service

16. Request the Toronto Police Service to provide a qualitative and (where practical) quantitative summary of their implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations to the Toronto Police Service, from the three reports dated June 14, 2022.

Transit Expansion

17. Request the Executive Director, Transit Expansion Office to provide a briefing note on the number of Full-time Equivalents within the Transit Expansion Office allocated to each transit project.

Transportation Services

18. Request the General Manager, Transportation Services, to provide a briefing note on the Doris Avenue Extension in Ward 18, Willowdale including:

a. when the Doris Avenue Extension was initially planned;

b. any associated project funding spent to-date; and

c. the current proposed budget for the project. 

January 15, 2025

David Jollimore, Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, gave a presentation on the 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan for the Corporate Services Group.

James Nowlan, Executive Director, Environment and Climate, gave a presentation on the Carbon Budget.

Lou Di Gironimo, General Manager, Toronto Water, gave a presentation on the 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan for the Infrastructure Services Group.

Sean Baird, President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and Lily Chen, Chief Financial Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, gave a presentation on the Toronto Community Housing Corporation 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan.

January 16, 2025

Vickery Bowles, City Librarian, Moe Hosseini-Ara, Director, Branch Operations and Customer Experience, Deepak Sharma, Senior Manager, Budgets and Finance Reporting, gave a presentation on the Toronto Public Library 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan.

Josie La Vita, Chief Financial Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, Josh Colle, Chief Strategy and Customer Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, gave a presentation on the Toronto Transit Commission 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan.

Myron Demkiw, Chief of Police, Toronto Police Service, Dubi Kanengisser, Executive Director, Toronto Police Service Board, Svina Dhaliwal, Chief Administrative Officer, Toronto Police Service, and Ian Williams, Director, Information Management, gave a presentation on the Toronto Police Service 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan.

January 17, 2025

Thomas Azouz, Interim Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, gave a presentation on the 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan for the Community and Social Services Group.

The Budget Committee will consider and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on the 2025 Capital and Operating Budgets.

The following schedule has been established for the consideration of the 2025 Capital and Operating Budgets:

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Service Group Presentation:

Corporate Services:

Corporate Real Estate Management

Customer Experience (formerly 311 Toronto)

Environment and Climate

Fleet Services

Office of the Chief Information Security Officer

Technology Services

Service Group Presentation:

Infrastructure Services:

Toronto Water (rate)

Solid Waste Management Services (rate)

Engineering and Construction Services

Municipal Licensing and Standards

Policy Planning, Finance and Administration

Toronto Emergency Management

Transit Expansion

Transportation Services

Service Group Presentation:

Development and Growth Services:

City Planning

Development Review

Housing Secretariat

Toronto Building

Waterfront Revitalization

Agency - Presentation:

Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC)

Agency Questions and Answers only - no presentation:

Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation (TSHC)

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Accountability Officers Questions and Answers only - no presentations:

Office of the Auditor General
Office of the Integrity Commissioner
Office of the Lobbyist Registrar
Ombudsman Toronto

Agency - Presentation:

Toronto Public Library

Agencies Questions and Answers only - no presentations:

Toronto Public Health

Arena Boards of Management
Association of Community Centres

CreateTO
Exhibition Place
Heritage Toronto
TO Live
Toronto Atmospheric Fund

Toronto Parking Authority (rate)
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto Zoo
Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square)

Agencies - Presentation:

Toronto Transit Commission

Toronto Police Service

Agencies Questions and Answers only - no presentations:

Toronto Police Service Board

Toronto Police Service Parking Tags Enforcement and Operations

Friday, January 17, 2025

Questions and Answers only - no presentations:

Finance and Treasury Services, City Manager's Office, and Other Services:

Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Financial Operations and Control (formerly Office of the Controller)

City Manager's Office

FIFA

Legal Services

City Clerk's Office

City Council

Office of the Mayor

Service Group Presentation:

Community and Social Services:

Toronto Fire Services
Toronto Paramedic Services
Children's Services

Court Services
Economic Development and Culture

Parks and Recreation (formerly Parks, Forestry and Recreation)

Seniors Services and Long-Term Care

Social Development, Finance and Administration
Toronto Employment and Social Services

Toronto Shelter and Support Services

This report presents to Budget Committee the proposed 2025 Operating Budget for the Auditor General’s Office (the "Office").

This report presents to Budget Committee the proposed 2025 Operating Budget for the Office of the Integrity Commissioner.

This report presents to Budget Committee the proposed 2025 Operating Budget for Ombudsman Toronto.

This report presents to Budget Committee the proposed 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget for the Toronto Lobbyist Registrar (the "Office").

At its Meeting held on December 12, 2024, the Toronto Police Service Board (Board) considered the following 2025 budget request reports:

- Toronto Police Service - 2025 Operating Budget Request;
- Toronto Police Service - 2025-2034 Capital Program Request;
- Toronto Police Service Parking Enforcement Unit - 2025 Operating Budget Request; and,

- Toronto Police Services Board - 2025 Operating Budget Request.

The Board approved the foregoing reports and requested that copies of the draft Minutes be forwarded to the City’s Budget Committee for consideration. The Board also directed that its decisions be transmitted to the City’s Chief Financial Officer for information.

For ease of reference, below are the substantive recommendations related to this year’s City Budget Process that the Board approved yesterday, with the effect that all four budget requests listed above were approved:

Toronto Police Service - 2025 Operating Budget Request

(1) Approve the Toronto Police Service (Service) 2025 net operating budget request of $1,220.1 Million (M), a $46.2 million or 3.9 percent increase over the 2024 approved budget.

Toronto Police Service - 2025-2034 Capital Program Request

(1) Approve the Toronto Police Service’s (Service) 2025-2034 Capital Program at a 2025 debt request of $81.4 Million (M) and gross amount of $104.6 million (excluding cash flow carry forwards from 2024), and a total of $867.5 million debt and $1,097.3 million gross for the 10-year program, as detailed in Attachment A (contained within Appendix A).

Toronto Police Service Parking Enforcement Unit - 2025 Operating Budget Request

(1) Approve the Toronto Police Service Parking Enforcement Unit’s (P.E.U.) 2025 net operating budget request of $55.4 Million (M), a 7.8 percent increase over the 2024 approved budget.

Toronto Police Service Board - 2025 Operating Budget Request

(1) Approve the Board’s 2025 net operating budget request of $2,376,000,which is a $20,700 increase over the 2024 approved budget.

Copies of all four reports approved by the Board, as well as a draft set of Minutes from the December 12, 2024, Board meeting are enclosed.

At its meeting on September 9, 2024, the Board of Health considered Item HL16.2 and made recommendations to the Budget Committee.

Summary from the report (September 6, 2024) from the Medical Officer of Health:

This report outlines the Toronto Public Health 2025 Operating Budget Submission for consideration by the Board of Health. Toronto Public Health's 2025 Operating Budget Submission is $282,833.0 thousand gross, $79,803.6 thousand net and 1,887.0 positions.

This 2025 Operating Budget Submission is higher than the 2024 Operating Budget by $3.0 thousand gross, $98.0 thousand net with 1.0 fewer positions, due to the end of federal funding for the Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment Program and the termination of provincial funding for Supervised Consumption Sites in 2025.  Additional information on the change between the 2025 Operating Budget Submission and the 2024 Operating Budget is available in Table 1 in this report.

The 2025 Operating Budget Submission includes in-year changes, and base changes as detailed in the recommendations in this report.

At its meeting on September 9, 2024, the Board of Health considered Item HL16.3 and made recommendations to the Budget Committee.

Summary from the report (August 23, 2024) from the Medical Officer of Health:

This report provides an overview of Toronto Public Health's 2025 Capital Budget and 2026-2034 Plan Request.

Toronto Public Health is recommending a 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan of $23.969 million, including a 2025 Capital Budget of $3.996 million with future year commitments of $3.784 million and future year estimates of $16.189 million. The 10 Year Capital Budget and Plan Request will provide funding for seven projects.

At its meeting on Friday, January 10, 2025, the TTC Board considered the attached report entitled “Recommended 2025 TTC Operating Budget; 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan and 15-Year Capital Investment Plan and Real Estate Investment Plan Update”.

The Board adopted the following:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Approve a 2025 Operating Budget totalling $2.819 billion in gross expenditures, $1.432 billion in revenues and a net funding requirement of $1.387 billion for the TTC comprising the following services, as summarized in Appendix A of this report:

a. 2025 TTC Conventional Operating Service Budget of $2.636 billion in gross expenditures, $1.423 billion in revenues and a net funding requirement of $1.214 billion; and,

b. 2025 Wheel-Trans Operating Budget of $182.6 million in gross expenditures, $9.4 million in revenues and a net funding requirement of $173.2 million.

2. Approve $1.6 million gross and $0 net to establish a General Body Repairperson Apprenticeship program, conditional on securing funding under the provincial Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream;

3. Endorse the TTC 2025-2039 Capital Investment Plan of $53.379 billion, as outlined in Attachment 1 of this report;

4. Endorse the TTC 2025-2039 Real Estate Investment Plan Update, including the implementation timeline, as outlined in Attachment 2 of this report;

5. Approve a 2025 Capital Budget of $1.688 billion and future year planned estimates of $14.707 billion for a total TTC 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan of $16.395 billion, comprising the following, as outlined in Appendix D of this report:

a. A 2025 Capital Budget of $1.618 billion and future year planned estimates of $14.615 billion, for a total TTC 2025-2034 Base Capital Budget and Plan of $16.233 billion, and,

b. A TTC 2025 Capital Budget of $70.54 million and future year planned estimates of $92.35 million, for a total TTC 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan of $162.89 million for Transit-Expansion-Related Projects.

6. Approve a 2025 year-end workforce complement of 18,201 positions, comprised of 14,916 operating positions and 3,285 capital positions, reflecting an increase of 476 operating positions and 199 capital positions, as summarized in Appendix B of this report;

7. Reaffirm requests to the Federal and Provincial Governments for a tri-partite discussion on the development of a sustainable, long-term funding model for public transit capital and operations needs;

8. Delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer to execute any transfer payment and / or contribution agreements required with the Province of Ontario and/or the Government of Canada to receive intergovernmental funding for priority projects and programs, subject to terms and conditions satisfactory to the TTC’s General Counsel; and,

9. Forward this report to the City Budget Committee and the City Manager as the official 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan submission for the Toronto Transit Commission.

10. That the TTC Board directs the TTC CEO and Director - Commission Services, to publicly release the TTC’s annual budget at least 10 business days prior to its consideration by the Commission.

11. That the Toronto Transit Commission Board:

a. Establish a Strategic Planning Committee to assist the TTC Board in managing strategic planning and priorities, including through a Ridership Growth Strategy and other existing strategic documents, and direct the Director, Commission Services to report back to the February 24, 2025 TTC Board meeting on a proposed structure and meeting schedule after canvassing Commissioners’ interest in committee membership.

b.  Amend the 2025 Schedule of Meetings to add a Special Meeting of the Board in September 2025 to consider recommendations from the Strategic Planning Committee, receive an update on the 2026 Budget, and discuss budget priorities informing the development of the 2026 TTC Operating Budget; 2026-2035 Capital Budget and Plan and 15-Year Capital Investment Plan and Real Estate Investment Plan Update.

c. Direct the Director, Commission Services to include a Special Meeting to consider recommendations from the Strategic Planning Committee, receive an update on the next year’s budget, and discuss budget priorities informing the development of the next year’s budgets in future year’s recommended annual schedule of Board and Committee meetings for the Board’s approval, in accordance with Section 20 of the By-law to Govern Board Proceedings.

12. The TTC Board requests that:

a. TTC Staff conduct public consultations and develop a Ridership Growth Strategy 2.0, building upon the Ridership Growth Strategy 2018-2022 and report back to the Board in July 2025;

b. TTC staff develop a hiring strategy on the basis of the approved Ridership Growth Strategy 2.0 and report back to the Board by October 2025;

c. TTC staff use the approved Ridership Growth Strategy 2.0 and associated hiring strategy to inform the 2026 TTC Budget process.

The recommendations of the Toronto Transit Commission Board as set out above are submitted for City Council approval through the Budget Committee.