NEWS – June 2, 2023

TORONTO – Today Anthony Furey announced a new part of his plan to reduce red tape. The “Furey Forward” program eliminates unnecessary regulations and approval delays for businesses both small and large.

The highlights involve seeing that patios are approved within six weeks and housing development within six months.

Throughout my conversations with businesses, I don’t hear a lot of requests for handouts or special treatment,” Furey said. “What I hear is frustration with how long it takes to get things done at City Hall which is why I am introducing the “Furey Forward” program.  The status quo bureaucrats and councillors are failing to provide timely services for our local economy.”

Furey will be laser focused on correcting the red tape failures at City Hall. One key way he will do this is by seeing that applications to City Hall are automatically approved if they are not dealt with within a specific timeframe.

“It’s not acceptable that a restaurant owner has to wait months to get a new outdoor dining space approved,” Furey says. “As Mayor, I will set a rule that if a patio application isn’t fully dealt with within six weeks, then it qualifies for the “Furey Forward” program and is automatically approved. We can’t let bureaucracy hold back the local economy.”

Likewise, Furey will bring the same approach to housing and real estate development. “Builders say the time they’re sitting around waiting to hear back from City Hall is one of the biggest impediments to getting housing built. This also adds major costs, which get passed on to the homeowner. Time is money.”

As Mayor, Furey will see that development applications are fully dealt with within six months after which the project qualifies for the “Furey Forward” program and is automatically approved. “It’s not right that, in the midst of a housing crisis, City Hall takes over two years to approve projects. We need to be laser focused on drastically reducing this timeline.”

All other types of business applications at City Hall will also qualify for the “Furey Forward” program granting similar auto-approval timelines during a Furey mayoralty.

Furey stressed that auto-approved projects will still have to comply with all city rules and regulations, as well as those rules stipulated by other levels of government and professional regulatory bodies.

“We need to talk about creating local jobs and growing the economy,” Furey added. “We can’t support our social services if we don’t first grow opportunities.”

When it comes to restaurants, Furey previously announced he will abolish CafeTO fees and create a mayor’s roundtable of small businesses. Furey’s small business support plans are supported by Firkin Group President Larry Isaacs and celebrity chef Mark McEwan, among others.

MEDIA CONTACT

Mike Bendixen | Senior Media Advisor
The Anthony Furey for Mayor Campaign
Telephone: 416-951-6397
media@furey.ca