This is exactly how Ford's budget cuts will impact Toronto

Following the release of Ontario’s budget in April, the Ford government has announced a number of major funding and program cuts coming to the province, offering very few details of how Toronto will be affected.

However, a new report from Chris Murray, Toronto’s city manager, revealed how the funding changes, identified to date, will impact the city and lead to an estimated $177.65 million budget shortfall in 2019 alone.

According to Murray, the cancelled planned provincial gas tax funding will amount to $24 million, while the cuts to children’s services will amount to $84.8 million.

Additionally, Toronto paramedic services will face $3.85 million in cuts, while the shortfall from Toronto Public Health will be $65 million.

See also

• Ford government slashes provincial funding for Tourism Toronto from $9.5 million to $0
• Tory determined to fight Ford's cuts that 'will take Toronto backwards'
• DineSafe among programs affected by Ford's public health cuts

Mayor John Tory says the report shows how the cuts put pressure on Toronto’s budget, which was already approved back in March.

Tory added the approved city budget “invested in services the people of Toronto want including police, transit and recreation, found efficiencies, and kept tax increases low.”

“We will keep making the case that these unilateral, retroactive cuts to child care and public health will hurt residents, especially kids and families, and threaten Toronto’s prosperity,” said Tory.

Tory says while he remains open to sitting down and discussing these cuts with Ford in a “productive manner,” the city has “repeatedly” offered to attend such meetings, which could have happened “months ago.”