Furey: We Can Fix This!

The Issue: Wasteful spending at City Hall… while the basics go under-funded

Here’s what’s wrong with the way things are:

Just one big-ticket example: According to a recent essay by the non-partisan think tank Cardus in the Toronto Sun[4], City Hall forfeits hundreds of millions of dollars every year by limiting construction tendering competition to a handful of favoured unions.

When neighbouring Hamilton, by contrast, opened its tendering to all qualified bidders, it found average cost savings of 21 per cent. Apply that ratio to Toronto, and the city would net $350 million in savings every year.

This alone, Cardus estimates, is “more than enough for hundreds of new police officers and mental health managers, as well as new police stations and building twice as much housing and shelters.”

Here’s what I’m going to do to fix it:

There are many such examples – big and small – of potential cost savings at City Hall. A complete, independent audit will find plenty more. A hiring freeze for non-core service city workers would be another area for significant savings.

Then there are the obvious, high-profile targets of wasteful spending (see previous) I will put an end to right away as Mayor. But we’ve got to get serious about how Toronto spends taxpayers’ money at a time when so many are struggling to find housing and put food on the table.

This will be the top priority of a Furey Administration.

Here’s what the benefits will be for the people of Toronto:

More money for the basics. A healthier, safer and more vibrant Toronto. And most important – Restored taxpayer trust in City Hall.