Friday, February 16, 2007
Good Friends Can Disagree
On February 15 2007, the Board held its annual City Council Luncheon with Mayor David Miller and many City Councillors and senior staff in attendance.
Board Chair Becky McKinnon delivered a speech that promised Council both cooperation and constructive criticism. Here are some excerpts:
"This is our first Luncheon with the new City Council, and the first time we’ve gathered since the historic changes of Toronto’s new governance model and the City of Toronto Act ... Please know that you can count on the cooperation of the Board of Trade as you seek to improve local government services in this new world.
Mind you, you can also count on our constructive criticism and suggestions for improvements. The Toronto Board of Trade has a clear mandate to serve, represent and unite Toronto’s business community, and we will continue to serve as its voice.
At times, that will mean challenging decisions or policies from Council – not because we disagree with your intentions, but to point out better alternatives for reaching those goals.
The Mayor’s intentions, as clearly outlined in his election platform and inaugural speech, are quite close to the Board’s priorities for Toronto. He speaks of ‘prosperity, liveability and opportunity’ … we speak of ‘competitiveness, liveability and sustainability’.
Both the Toronto government and the Board share the goal of building a better city with a stronger economy and a higher quality of life. Our concern is ensuring that the best path towards that goal is chosen. We want to be certain that the logical steps are taken in this effort – building a more competitive business climate, developing the infrastructure Toronto needs, and improving local government."
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"I want to conclude today by offering Mayor Miller the Board’s perspective about some of the challenges we must face together as citizens of Toronto.
As someone once said, “There is good news, and there is bad news.”
The good news is that the Mayor has lived up to his pledge to create the Economic Competitiveness Advisory Committee. We take this and the creation of the economic development committee of Council as very positive signs. They show that the City is dedicated to addressing the vital challenge of making Toronto a more competitive home for business, investment and jobs.
The bad news is that Toronto’s economic strategy has not been updated in seven years, and there is a tremendous amount of catching up to do.
In another example, there is good news on business property taxes, with the City implementing a plan to make the system fairer by slowly bringing tax ratios in line with other jurisdictions.
However, the bad news is that the City’s plan will still see business property taxes rates, already among the highest in North America, continue to increase for 14 years. Clearly, we need to get to a tax situation that is both fairer AND more competitive.
But the best news of all is that there are so many areas where the Board and the City can work together for the good of Toronto, its people and its business community.
From unfair provincial downloading, to the fiscal gap with the federal government … from the need for a national transit strategy to the key role of the new Greater Toronto Transportation Authority … and, from cleaner, safer streets to more opportunities for young people from vulnerable areas.
On these, and many other grounds, we can work together for mutual gain."
Becky McKinnon is Chair of the Toronto Board of Trade
Board Chair Becky McKinnon delivered a speech that promised Council both cooperation and constructive criticism. Here are some excerpts:
"This is our first Luncheon with the new City Council, and the first time we’ve gathered since the historic changes of Toronto’s new governance model and the City of Toronto Act ... Please know that you can count on the cooperation of the Board of Trade as you seek to improve local government services in this new world.
Mind you, you can also count on our constructive criticism and suggestions for improvements. The Toronto Board of Trade has a clear mandate to serve, represent and unite Toronto’s business community, and we will continue to serve as its voice.
At times, that will mean challenging decisions or policies from Council – not because we disagree with your intentions, but to point out better alternatives for reaching those goals.
The Mayor’s intentions, as clearly outlined in his election platform and inaugural speech, are quite close to the Board’s priorities for Toronto. He speaks of ‘prosperity, liveability and opportunity’ … we speak of ‘competitiveness, liveability and sustainability’.
Both the Toronto government and the Board share the goal of building a better city with a stronger economy and a higher quality of life. Our concern is ensuring that the best path towards that goal is chosen. We want to be certain that the logical steps are taken in this effort – building a more competitive business climate, developing the infrastructure Toronto needs, and improving local government."
============
"I want to conclude today by offering Mayor Miller the Board’s perspective about some of the challenges we must face together as citizens of Toronto.
As someone once said, “There is good news, and there is bad news.”
The good news is that the Mayor has lived up to his pledge to create the Economic Competitiveness Advisory Committee. We take this and the creation of the economic development committee of Council as very positive signs. They show that the City is dedicated to addressing the vital challenge of making Toronto a more competitive home for business, investment and jobs.
The bad news is that Toronto’s economic strategy has not been updated in seven years, and there is a tremendous amount of catching up to do.
In another example, there is good news on business property taxes, with the City implementing a plan to make the system fairer by slowly bringing tax ratios in line with other jurisdictions.
However, the bad news is that the City’s plan will still see business property taxes rates, already among the highest in North America, continue to increase for 14 years. Clearly, we need to get to a tax situation that is both fairer AND more competitive.
But the best news of all is that there are so many areas where the Board and the City can work together for the good of Toronto, its people and its business community.
From unfair provincial downloading, to the fiscal gap with the federal government … from the need for a national transit strategy to the key role of the new Greater Toronto Transportation Authority … and, from cleaner, safer streets to more opportunities for young people from vulnerable areas.
On these, and many other grounds, we can work together for mutual gain."
Becky McKinnon is Chair of the Toronto Board of Trade
// posted by Toronto Board of Trade @ 3:10 PM 
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