Critics line up to chastise Miller's budget announcement

Critics line up to chastise Miller's budget announcement. Toronto Mayor David Miller makes a surprise announcement Wednesday morning at City Hall about the Toronto budget surplus and future budget plans. (March 10, 2010) Photo/AARON VINCENT ELKAIM

One candidate - York West Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti - felt strongly enough about Miller's news conference first thing Wednesday morning, that he has called for Miller to resign.

"It's clear that this has taken on a life of its own in an NDP way, and it's become political, and it's time for the mayor to step aside," said Mammoliti, who sits on Miller's executive committee. "If he wants to become political, it's time for him to resign and leave the chair."

Mammoliti went further, with an at-times convoluted argument that Miller used the additional surplus from 2009 as a way to attack candidates such as Mammoliti, who advocated a tough fiscal management style and tax reductions.

"That was a shot at me today - and the gloves are off," said Mammoliti. "He took a shot at my campaign saying it's not achievable to reach a reduction of property tax. Based on the stunt he pulled today, it's the best thing the NDP could think of; it's a huge NDP stunt and it's time the socialists left the building."

Mammoliti went on to suggest that Miller's involvement may be "illegal," in that he met with budget chief Shelley Carroll to discuss how to spend the windfall without going to an open meeting of either the executive or the budget committee.

The actual windfall Miller announced amounts to an increase in the operating surplus from 2009 that until Wednesday sat at $250 million.

The new surplus should be used, Miller said, to reduce the property tax increase from four per cent to 2.9 per cent and mitigate some of the fee increases. As well, it would allow Toronto some stability going in to 2011, with $75 million going toward helping balance that budget.

Miller said if the province comes through with $250 million in transit funding, Torontonians can expect a three per cent property tax increase and a freeze on TTC fares.

Of the other major candidates, only Joe Pantalone, Miller's deputy mayor, was supportive of the windfall.

"He sure has pretty well blown out of the water those who say that for Toronto to continue providing services we need to slash and burn - and sell the family heirlooms," said Pantalone. "That is out the window and it makes you wonder what George Smitherman and Rocco Rossi are talking about... What it does for me as a candidate for mayor of the amazing City of Toronto is that it validates everything I've been saying. We need to tweak, prune and trim, but we have to treat Torontonians with tender loving care."

Rocco Rossi, who has advocated a multi-year budget, called the announcement "cynical."

"This is one of the more cynical announcements we've seen at City Hall," he said. "Someone turned up $100 million worth of quarters underneath some sofa cushion, and we're supposed to believe that after seven years he's found religion and understands multi-year budgeting? This still requires over $250 million being paid for by the province, which is not budgetary planning, it's budgetary prayer. And while I believe in the power of prayer, I believe God helps those who help themselves. And this is not a budget that's helping Toronto very much at all."

Smitherman also accused Miller of trickery.

"This is the most commonly played political trick in the game - get the people upset and save the day at the last minute," he said. "I think we can only see this as a cynical act. It's good that we can have the relief in the reduction of some fees and taxes. But at the heart I think it's an unfortunate strategy perpetrated on the people of Toronto yet again."