Fwd: REMINDER: Budget Town Hall Thursday, Dec 15th at Trinity Bellwoods Recreation Centre 7-9pm

[Colette Snyder]

Here's a reminder from Mike Layton's office about the Budget Town Hall he is hosting this Thursday, December 15.

Colette

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From: Angela Surdi <asu...@toronto.ca>
Date: Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 5:45 PM
Subject: REMINDER: Budget Town Hall Thursday, Dec 15th at Trinity Bellwoods Recreation Centre 7-9pm
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Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well. Attached please find the latest newsletter with details of the proposed budget and a reminder of an invitation to our Budget Townhall sent on November 23, 2011.

 

We look forward to answering questions and hearing your feedback on the proposed budget.

 

Kindly forward this reminder to your members or any resident who may be interested in attending.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

Angela Surdi

Constituency Assistant

Councillor Mike Layton

Ward 19, Trinity- Spadina

Mon -Thurs

Tel    416.392.4009 (Main Line)

Tel    416.397.4110 (Direct)

Fax   416.392.4100

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Councillor Mike Layton" <councill...@toronto.ca>
To: Angela <asu...@toronto.ca>
Cc: 
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:19:51 +0000
Subject: Help Fix our Budget and Save Your Services

Please join me at the Ward 19 Budget Town Hall meeting this Thursday December 15. Reply to this email to RSVP. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Dear Angela, The draft 2012 budget was introduced by the Mayor Monday, November 28. The cuts, "efficiencies" and increases to user fees proposed in the budget will have significant impacts on public services in Ward 19 and across the city. I want to ensure your voice is heard and that we work together as a community to stop these cuts. If you have not RSVP’d to our Ward 19 budget town hall being held this Thursday, please do so simply by replying to this email. If you are not able to attend, please free to send me an email at councill...@toronto.ca or call my office (416) 392-4009 to share your ideas and concerns. Ward 19 Budget Town Hall December 15, 2011 7pm-9pm Trinity Community Recreation Centre 155 Crawford Street (map) (east of Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue) RSVP: reply here, e-mail councill...@toronto.ca or call (416) 392-4009 I have already heard from thousands of you about how these cuts will affect you. You have told me how they will hurt new Canadians, our kids, seniors, families and our local environment. Thank you for your feedback and for being so engaged in our budget process at City Hall. The budget before us is not a responsible one. The Mayor told us there was a $774 million shortfall, but what we have now been presented with is drastically less. In fact, we have a surplus that is not being used of at least $139 million and it will likely be closer to $200 million by the end of 2011. There is no crisis. We have the money to protect our services and even continue building a better Toronto. Sadly, for the first time, our budget does not use the prior year surplus. We are not using the surplus money available to us and the result is a budget the cuts services for all of us, and predominantly hurts programming for kids. I have been working hard to uncover what the proposed cuts will mean to you and our neighbourhoods. I will continue to update the budget section of my website, which can be viewed here as we learn more. I have included some initial thoughts below. Some of the proposed 2012 budget impacts include: Cuts to service on TTC routes including the College, Dundas, Queen and King streetcars and a TTC fare hike of 10 to 15 cents a trip. The closure of three childcare centres and an increased cost to childcare by upwards of 10% across the city. The closure of five wading pools, including the permanent closure of our own Ward 19 Fred Hamilton Playground wading pool. The closure of two outdoor pools, including the permanent closure of the Stanley Park outdoor pool despite the City investing $592,000 last year in renovating the pool building. The elimination of swimming and recreation programs at 18 schools across the city. A hiring freeze for Toronto Fire and Paramedics, creating a shortage of dozens of firefighters and increased emergency response wait times. The closure of three shelters and the elimination of 11,000 nights of shelter beds. This includes the permanent closure of the Bellwoods Shelter in our ward, which houses many women fleeing domestic violence. The elimination of 19,000 hours of library service including a reduction in hours at College/Shaw Library, Palmerston Library and Bloor/Gladstone Library. Increases in user fees at community centres, including a 10% increase for instructional programs mostly used by children and youth. The elimination of youth outreach activities for over 16,000 youth. The elimination of funding for 58 student nutrition programs in Toronto schools. A reduction in frequency of street cleaning. The elimination of the hardship fund, which helps those who cannot afford it purchase surgical supplies, mobility aids such as crutches, diabetic supplies, hearing aids and more. A 10 % funding cut to local arts. A 10% funding cut to community groups, organizations, and business associations across the city which make our city safer, support sexual education, harm reduction, community food programs, farmers markets, mental health services, recreation programs for seniors, festivals, tax clinics, summer and march break camps, affordable access to community spaces and housing placement supports for women freeing violence, resources for BIAs and newcomer and employment supports. The closure of arenas across the City during day time hours Monday through Friday. The elimination of Wheel Trans service for dialysis patients. Cuts to the Toronto Environment Office and the Sustainable Energy Plan. The closure of visitor cafeterias in long term care homes. The end of free recreation programs for low income children and youth in priority centres across the City. These cuts will impact all of us. I ask you to contact your friends and family and encourage them to contact their local councillor to ask them to protect our services and help fix this budget. Please reply here and RSVP to our budget town hall taking place this Thursday December 15. City Council votes on this budget on January 17, 18 and 19, which means there is still time for us to work together to fix it.  Yours in community, Councillor Mike Layton Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina Phone: (416) 392-4009 Fax: (416) 392-4100 Follow on Twitter | Find on Facebook | Forward to a Friend  This email is sent to residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders in Ward 19. You may also be receiving this because you took action around a particular concern. For more information about what's going on in the Ward and at City Hall, please visit www.mikelayton.ca . Our mailing address is: Councillor Mike Layton, Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina 100 Queen Street West Suite C47 Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N2 Add us to your address book Copyright © 2011 Councillor Mike Layton, Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences