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Councillors expected to decide on privatized garbage collection - CP24

May 17, 2011
Web Staff
CP24

City council could decide Tuesday whether to privatize garbage collection for 165,000 homes in Toronto.

Council members are debating a staff report from the public works and infrastructure committee that recommends the city immediately proceed with privatizing waste collection services west of Yonge Street to Etobicoke.

During Tuesday's meeting, Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong told council that privatization wouldn't have a negative affect on garbage collection.

A new poll finds that 61 per cent of Toronto residents support privatizing curbside garbage pickup west of Yonge Street.

The area is currently serviced by unionized public workers. About 300 jobs are on the line.

Mayor Rob Ford campaigned on the idea of privatization, saying it would result in millions of dollars in savings for the city.

But the Toronto Environmental Alliance said the city is overestimating the savings that would come from privatization.

The TEA released its own report, titled Look Before You Leap, earlier this month. The report argues that privatizing garbage collection would only save $2 million annually, not the $7 million the city has promised.

The city said $1 million of that total would be spent on supervision and oversight of the new service, but the TEA claims the cost would actually be about $4.5 million or about 20 per cent of the contract's cost.

Members of the TEA want city council to reject the staff report and research the "true cost" of privatization.

If the city proceeds with privatization, staff would decide who the contract is awarded to.

As originally published here:
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110517/110517_garbage_collection/20110517/?hub=CP24Home

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