Scarborough budget consultations hear from residents on priorities. Activist groups ask for more taxpayer resources for their projects.
What do smartphones, air conditioning, bike repair hubs and community gardens all have in common? They are some of the things speakers at one of Toronto City Hall’s Budget Subcommittee Meetings at Scarborough’s Civic Centre felt should be prioritized for spending in this year’s city budget.
On January 21st at 6pm, city councillors Shelley Carroll, Lily Cheng, and Jamaal Myers listened as Toronto residents, both in person and virtually, shared their thoughts about the budget. Most of the speakers who showed up to present were members of activist and advocacy groups. There were several environmental groups represented, as well as Progress Toronto, and transit advocates – the TTCriders.
Sarah Buchanan from Toronto Environmental Alliance thanked the budget committee for the “slight increase in the budget this year…for neighbourhood climate action grants.” These grants provide funding of up to $7,500 for “resident-led climate action projects that educate the public on climate change.” She said these grants allow the city to “provide some hope during the climate crisis” and that these grant recipients are the people who show up to her group’s events. Another priority she mentioned was increasing funding for the city’s free air conditioner program for vulnerable tenants.
Other speakers said they were happy to see climate grants fund bike repair hubs and community gardens and that Scarborough residents wanted more of those things, more grant money and for it to be easier for individuals to access grant money.
Another speaker, Andrew Lawrence, from activist group Progress Toronto, said while he personally was unable to help the homeless, he wanted to see the city spend more money on affordable housing.
Speaker Lilia Musa also spoke about affordable housing and homeless shelters. She felt it was unreasonable for the CEO of the Toronto Zoo to be making $300,000 a year and city councillors $150,000 while there were “long lines for food banks.” Musa also wanted to see homeless people provided with $125 smartphones so they could use email to find a job.
“One speaker
wanted to see
homeless people
provided with
smartphones.”
Many speaker s brought up traffic congestion, the TTC, and keeping fares affordable. Chrisander Singum, Director of Scarborough Environmental Alliance, told the committee it took him 40 minutes to travel by TTC from his home in the Bendale neighbourhood of Scarborough to the Scarborough Civic Centre. He said that with people returning to the office, the World Cup approaching, and new residents moving to the area, “transit needs to be the choice for commuters, not a choice for those with no other choice.”
Tina Nyamatore of North York and transit advocacy group, TTCriders, also spoke about transit in this city. She felt “navigating the system is not always easy, especially during the winter.” She told the committee she was asking for three things: a fare freeze, reduced student fees, and clearer, more accessible way finding including better signage and less muffled announcements on the subway and in stations.
The budget subcommittee also held public consultation meetings in Etobicoke, North York, and at City Hall. Toronto residents were also invited to send their budget related thoughts and concerns to the City Clerk via email.
