Rob  Ford’s  Taxpayer  Protection  Plan  

 
Every  tax  dollar  the  city  spends  comes  out  of  the  pockets  of  hardworking  people  and  
families  who’ve  earned  it.    It’s  money  those  families  can’t  spend  putting  food  on  their  tables,  
clothes  on  their  children,  getting  transportation  to  and  from  work.    The  city  better  do  
something  important  with  it.    Too  often  this  is  not  the  case.    It’s  time  to  bring  transparency  
and  accountability  to  government.  It’s  time  to  improve  the  customer  service  people  and  
businesses  receive  from  City  Hall.    It’s  time  to  show  some  respect  for  taxpayers  in  Toronto.  
 
1. Reduce  Mayor’s  and  Councillors’  Budgets.    In  addition  to  their  salary  of  $100,000,  
each  Councillor  receives  a  budget  of  $207,584  to  hire  staff.1  Councillors  also  receive  a  
tax-­‐free  allowance  of  $50,445  for  “other  expenses.”2  Because  there  are  few  guidelines  
for  the  use  of  this  money,  much  of  it  is  spent  on  inappropriate  expenses.  
 
The  City  will  reduce  the  mayor’s  office  budget  for  staffing  and  expenses  by  20  per  cent  
from  $2,560,7173  to  $2,048,573  saving  the  taxpayer  $512,143  each  year.  
 
The  City  will  reduce  Councillors’  “expense  accounts”  from  $50,445  to  $30,000  saving  
taxpayers  $899,580  per  year.    The  remaining  $30,000  allowance  will  be  allocated  for  
specific,  approved  expenses  with  maximum  amounts  set  for  each  category.    
 
The  City  will  reduce  Councillors’  staffing  budgets  from  $207,584  to  $175,000  (more  than  
enough  to  hire  three  staff  per  Councillor)  saving  taxpayers  another  $1,433,696  each  year.  
 
  Cost  Impact:    Taxpayer  Savings  of  $2,845,419  per  year  starting  in  2011.  
 
2. Publish  City  Spending  Online.    Taxpayers  have  the  right  to  know  how  their  money  is  
spent.    The  City  will  publish  all  public  expenditures  online  so  citizens  can  hold  their  
government  accountable.    This  includes  all  city  purchases,  including  those  made  on  city-­‐
issued  purchasing  cards  (i.e.  credit  cards).    The  City  will  expand  its  Open  Data4  initiative  
to  make  full  public  spending  data  available  online.  
 
Cost  Impact:    Up  to  $500,000  for  minor  IT  improvements  and  operating  costs.  
 
3. Open,  Transparent  &  Competitive  Purchasing.    Taxpayers  have  the  right  to  get  good  
value  for  their  money.    Each  year,  the  city  purchases  about  $1  billion  in  goods  and  
services.5    Often,  these  purchases  are  made  without  a  competitive  process.    Without  a  
free,  fair  and  open  purchasing  process,  many  suppliers  are  excluded  from  opportunities  
and  taxpayers  cannot  know  if  they  are  getting  good  value  for  money.  
 
The  City  will  adopt  best  practices  for  all  purchases  –  ensuring  competitive  bids  are  solicited  
for  every  major  purchase  and  the  entire  purchasing  process  is  made  open  and  transparent.  
 
Cost  Impact:    A  five  per  cent  reduction  in  overall  purchasing  costs  would  save  
the  city  about  $50  Million  each  year.  
  

4. Protecting  Whistleblowers.    City  employees  who  act  in  the  best  interest  of  taxpayers  
deserve  protection.    Current  city  policies  only  protect  employees  who  report  fraud.    The  
City  will  enact  a  By-­‐Law  protecting  employees  from  formal  and  informal  retaliation  
when  they  reveal  information  about  wasteful  spending  or  mismanagement  at  City  Hall.  
 
Cost  Impact:    This  program  will  help  find  and  stop  wasteful  spending.  
 
5. Eliminate  the  Anti-­Competition  “Fair  Wage”  Policy.    Toronto’s  so-­‐called  “fair  wage  
policy”  stifles  private  sector  competition  for  city  contracts  and  ensures  the  City  pays  
top-­‐dollar  for  every  project.    The  City  will  eliminate  this  policy  and  allow  private  
contractors  to  bid  competitively  on  tendered  projects.  
 
Cost  Impact:    Significant  savings  on  contracted  work.  
 
6. Accountable  Voting.    Taxpayers  have  the  right  to  know  how  their  representatives  vote  
on  their  behalf.    Right  now,  many  City  Council  votes  are  not  recorded.    The  City  will  
record  all  votes  of  City  Council  and  the  voting  record  will  be  posted  online.  
 
No  significant  cost  impact.  
 
7. Reducing  Secret  Meetings.    Far  too  many  “secret  deals”  are  being  made  behind  closed  
doors  at  City  Hall.    City  Council  will  reduce  to  the  bare  minimum  the  number  of  meetings  
it  holds  “in  camera.”    When  closed-­‐door  meetings  are  absolutely  necessary,  Council  will  
set  a  “sunshine  date”  –  a  date  when  minutes  of  the  meeting  will  be  made  public.    That  way,  
Councillors  will  know  they  will  be  held  accountable  for  their  decisions.  
 
No  significant  cost  impact.  
 
8. Setting  Service  Standards.    The  City  will  ensure  telephone  calls  and  emails  to  City  Staff  
are  returned  within  two  working  days.    For  most  inquiries,  residents  should  be  redirected  
not  more  than  once  before  someone  can  answer  their  question.    If  residents  are  unhappy  
with  the  response,  City  Staff  will  clearly  explain  how  to  escalate  their  concern  or  make  a  
complaint.    City  Staff  will  be  identifiable  by  first  name  in  all  appropriate  circumstances.  
 
No  significant  cost  impact.  
 
9. Measuring  &  Rewarding  Performance.  The  City  will  actively  solicit  input  about  its  
customer  service  performance  on  a  regular  basis.    This  information  will  be  broken  down  
by  Ward  and  Department  and  published  online.    Customer  Satisfaction  will  be  
incorporated  into  senior  managers’  performance  reviews.  
 
Cost  Impact:    Up  to  $750,000  per  year  for  customer  satisfaction  research.  
 
 
 
 
  

10. Real  Community  Consultation.    The  City  will  establish  standards  to  ensure  all  major  
development  decisions  or  significant  changes  affecting  communities  include  a  full  and  
complete  community  consultation  process.    This  process  will  not  just  “inform”  communities  
of  decisions  already  made  –  it  will  engage  stakeholders  early  enough  so  plans  can  reflect  
their  interests  and  ideas.    This  process  will  include  proactive  notification  of  all  impacted  
residents,  businesses  and  other  stakeholder  groups  and  require  sufficient  lead-­‐time  to  
receive  informed  input.    The  City  will  explore  new  technologies  to  enhance  its  ability  to  
conduct  broad,  timely  consultation  in  a  cost-­‐effective  manner.  
 
Cost  Impact:    Up  to  $1  million  per  year  to  improve  community  consultation.  
 
11. Stronger  Community  Councils.    Toronto  is  a  city  of  neighborhoods,  each  with  its  own  
character  and  priorities.    One  size  does  not  fit  all.    To  reflect  this,  City  Council  will  
delegate  to  Community  Councils  more  authority  to  make  final  decisions  on  issues  where  
local  community  interests  are  most  important.    This  includes  issues  that  don’t  
materially  impact  city  finances  such  as:  local  parking  rules,  tree  removal  applications,  
some  curbside  services  such  as  leaf  pick  up  and  sidewalk  snow  clearance  as  well  as  
minor  residential  zoning  variances.    This  will  allow  communities  to  set  local  standards  
that  reflect  local  values  and  reduce  the  time  required  to  make  decisions.  
 
Community  Council  decisions  under  these  delegated  powers  will  not  require  ratification  
at  City  Council.    City  Council  may  overturn  a  Community  Council  decision  only  with  a  two-­‐
thirds  majority  vote  and  only  after  hearing  public  deputations  from  affected  citizens.  
 
No  significant  cost  impact.  
 
12. Giving  Citizens  a  Voice  at  Council.    Citizens  currently  do  not  have  the  right  to  speak  on  
matters  that  impact  them  at  City  Council.    Citizens  deserve  to  be  heard.    City  Council  will  
allow  reasonable  public  deputations  on  all  matters  of  community  concern.  
 
No  significant  cost  impact.  
 
 
  

Net  Cost  Impact  

 
Item   Cost  Increase   Cost  Decrease  
1.      Reduce  Politicians’  budgets     ($  2.85  million)  
2.      Publish  spending  online   $0.50  million    
9.      Measuring  &  Rewarding  Performance   $0.75  million    
10.  Real  Community  Consultation   $1.00  million    
Total:   $2.25  million   ($2.85  million)  
Net  Cost  Impact:     ($0.60  million)  
 
N.B.    Potential  savings  (est.  at  $50  million  if  5  %  improvement  achieved)  from  
open  &  competitive  purchasing  not  included.  
 
 
                                                                                                               
1
 City  of  Toronto,  Office  Budgets  (2010)  –  Councillors’  staffing:  $207,583.74  
(http://www.toronto.ca/city_council/salaries.htm)  
2
 City  of  Toronto,  Office  Budgets  (2010)  –  “Office  Budget”  for  Councillors  2010-­‐11  =  $50,445  
(http://www.toronto.ca/city_council/salaries.htm)  
3
 City  of  Toronto,  Office  Budgets  (2010)  –  Overall  annual  budget  for  Mayor  2009-­‐10  =  $2,560,716.81  including  
$2,264,744.37  for  staff  salaries  and  benefits  (equivalent  to  23  full  time  staff)  
(http://www.toronto.ca/city_council/salaries.htm)  
4
 City  of  Toronto,  Open  Data  Initiative  (http://www.toronto.ca/open/)  
5
 City  of  Toronto,  A  Blueprint  for  Fiscal  Stability  and  Economic  Prosperity  –  A  Call  to  Action,  Final  Report  of  the  
Mayor’s  Fiscal  Review  “Blue  Ribbon”  Panel,  21  Feb  2009.