Waste Reduction Week ends Sunday, and it's been a great week to think about waste management, recycling and the future of waste in Toronto.
Read more here.
On Tuesday, September 27th, City Council voted on a complicated set of recommendations about which city services to cut, which to keep and which to revisit through the budget process in the fall. See the final decision document on the City website.
Please sign this petition below to tell City Council and the Mayor that you value the City's environmental programs and services. Programs have already been cut, and more are at risk in the 2012 Budget cuts.
The Provincial government plays a key role in keeping Ontario's energy green, our air and water clean, and in determining how our cities operate and are funded.
At the Executive Committee meeting on September 19, 2011, the Committee considered the City Manager's report on Recommended Service Cuts. There is good news and bad news coming out of the 20 hour meeting that ended at 5:20 am on Tuesday September 20th.
Following July's Standing Committee meetings that heard from Consultants about potential service cuts, the City Manager was asked to report back to Council with recommendations.
The “Good News Bad News” Executive Committee Meeting. At the Executive Committee meeting on September 19, 2011, the Committee considered the City Manager's report on Recommended Service Cuts. There is good news and bad news coming out of the 20 hour meeting that ended at 5:20 am on Tuesday September 20th.
At the Executive Committee meeting on September 19, 2011, the Committee considered the City Manager's report on Recommended Service Cuts. There is good news and bad news coming out of the 20 hour meeting that ended at 5:20 am on Tuesday September 20th.
Yesterday, the city's top bureaucrat, the City Manager, released a report on proposed service cuts to many city services, including key environmental services such as Community Environment Days, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and the Toronto Environment Office.
UPDATE - September 12, 2011
A new City Manager's report summarizes the public comments provided on the survey and by written and in-person submissions to the special Standing Committee meetings in July. The report compares the consultant's recommended cuts with the public input.
In the spring and summer of 2011, the City reviewed all City services to decide which ones to cut, which to reduce, and which to increase user fees for, including important environmental programs. On Tuesday, January 17th, a majority of City Councillors voted to stop proposed cuts to key environmental services in the 2012 City Budget. Read more about how TEA was involved in this victory for the environment!
Councillors keep environmental services on the chopping block
As we reported last week, environmental services are up for major cuts at City Hall. Committees met throughout the week to hear from the Mayor's consultants hired to find cost savings at City Hall as part of a major City Services Review.
As part of the City Service Review, KPMG Consultants were hired to identify which services and programs of the City are 'core' and where the City could cut services to save money. Now the City Manager has reviewed the Consultant's report and made recommendations on what services to cut now, and what services to cut or reduce in the future.
On July 14th, 2011, City Councillors voted almost unanimously to continue buying local food for city-run daycares and seniors’ homes. Two weeks ago, some Councillors publicly stated they thought City Hall shouldn’t be supporting local farmers and the city’s food services industry that supply local food.
City Hall is conducting a major review of all City services to determine which programs to reduce or cut. This review has a very short timeline, and focuses on short term costs, failing to consider the environmental and social benefits of Toronto's programs.
On July 14th, 2011, City Councillors voted almost unanimously to continue buying local food for city-run daycares and seniors’ homes.