Mayor needs a game plan

By the time the provincial Liberals introduce legislation granting Toronto a new city charter — an historic moment expected by Christmas — Mayor David Miller should have a clear plan to deliver the rest of the new deal for Toronto.

Quick action is essential. It’s unlikely the city will ever again have the type of optimal leverage it now enjoys — leverage that’s being eroded with each political machination in Ottawa. Fail now and we may never come this close again for a generation or two.

Miller has inherited a favourable political climate unimaginable a few short years ago. At Queen’s Park, there’s a premier in Dalton McGuinty who is a champion for a new, invigorated Toronto. Not since Bill Davis have we had such a Toronto booster, a premier whose action backs up the talk that Toronto is the province’s capital city and economic engine. The opposition leader John Tory is also a Toronto ally. Before leading the provincial Conservative party, he was co- chair of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, the advocacy group that has led the fight for a new deal. He ran for mayor, losing to Miller. And as opposition leader, he travelled to Ottawa to help Stephen Harper grasp the importance of urban regions in the new political landscape.

In Ottawa, the Prime Minister doesn’t hide his enthusiasm for urban regions and speaks about Toronto like a crusading evangelist. He has a battery of MPs who understand the city’s needs and have pushed to deliver gas tax revenues. NDP leader Jack Layton was head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities before leaving Toronto city council for the federal parliament. No one in Ottawa is a more able and astute strategist in delivering federal funding to cities. Witness the deal he wrestled from Prime Minister Paul Martin to deliver $ 197 million more transit funds to Toronto over two years.

In other words, Miller has city allies in high places. The city charter, embodied in the proposed new City of Toronto Act, promises new powers for Toronto. It gives the city authority to levy fees and sin taxes, the right to negotiate directly with Ottawa on such matters like day care and housing and immigration, and freedom to govern without constantly seeking Queen’s Park’s approval. Quick action is essential. It’s unlikely the city will ever again have the type of leverage it now enjoys But it doesn’t go far enough on a number of fronts, refuses action on others and promises to study other pressing demands. It’s here that Miller must lead the charge for changes, not become satisfied with the modest gains of the act. Miller’s game plan should include:

Astrategy to get the Holy Grail of municipal financing: revenues that grow with the economy, namely, income and sales taxes. A suitable alternative is for the province to take back the responsibility for welfare and housing and education, now being borne by cities.

This is particularly difficult. It’s taken more than 150 years to get the province to recognize Toronto as an independent government, an action that costs nothing. Imagine what it will take for them to turn over a portion of their taxing authority.

A plan B, in case sales and income taxes are not forthcoming.

This is only wise, considering the

odds. Unfortunately, Miller has given

no indication he is heading that way.

Earlier this year, he insisted he expected to get those taxing powers before the end of 2005, even though he knew he wouldn’t. Such wilful, ostrichlike behaviour is not helpful.

This week, on the eve of getting powers to impose tolls and sin taxes, Miller rejected tolls. How, then, does he propose to expand transit or help build the city? Every penny of the gas tax revenues he has received from Ottawa and the province is needed just to fund the maintenance plan of the transit system.

Faced with budget shortfalls, more than $400 million for 2006, increasing debt, a backlog in road repairs and inadequate funds to support basic services, afiscal plan that doesn’t depend on other governments is desperately needed.

Real governance reform, not incremental tinkering. Screw this up with some timid approach and it signals the mayor doesn’t have the stomach for the job of running this 21st century city that the new act envisions. Those who argue for minor tweaking are living in the past. They think Toronto is the little burg, pre- amalgamation. In fact, the new city is like nothing ever created in Canada. What it needs is a new administration, new executive tools, new approaches, a total redesign of the city government to manage this sprawling behemoth. Apanel of experts is to report soon on this.

If the recommendations are tame and without innovation, designed to meet political approval, it signals that the mayor isn’t prepared to wage the battle needed to push reforms beyond the modest gains promised this week. Royson James usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email: rjames@thestar.ca