I really do not have much to say about the City of Toronto.  In my opinion, Mayor Tory is doing an adequate job – but he is not dynamic.  He appears to say and do the correct things, appears at the appropriate functions, makes the appropriate public announcements, and attempts to bring about consensus.  But he does not exhibit any dynamism in his role as the Mayor of Canada’s largest and most important city.

This is the assessment I predicted in my newsletter last year.  I had hoped that with his background and economical and political connections he would have had a greater impact and involvement in bringing some significant new job creation to Toronto.  I certainly supported his position that Toronto not bid on the Olympics – that exercise has proven to be an economic noose around the necks of those municipalities who have hosted past Olympic games.

On the other hand, he has backtracked on several of his election proposals so far, such as contracting out garbage collection east of Yonge Street and reducing traffic congestion.  He still dilly-dallies about the future of the Gardiner Expressway, and is not forceful enough in insisting on the police budget being decreased to a rational level, or keeping taxes in level with the rate of inflation.

Word has recently filtered out that he may introduce a new municipal tax – what else is new?!  He should instead bite the bullet and show leadership by making the tough calls on budget cuts from the various departments. I believe the rate of taxation for both the provincial and Toronto Land Transfer Taxes should be decreased.

Compared to former Mayor Ford, he is the polar opposite, and to his credit, has effectively removed the impression of City Hall as being the old Wild West Dodge City; or in more modern times the “theatre of the absurd”.

I really do not have much to say about the City of Toronto.  In my opinion Mayor Tory is doing an adequate job – but he is not dynamic.  He appears to say and do the correct things, appears at the appropriate functions, makes the appropriate public announcements, and attempts to bring about consensus.  But he does not exhibit any dynamism in his role as the Mayor of Canada’s largest and most important city.

This is the assessment I predicted in my newsletter last year.  I had hoped that with his background and economical and political connections he would have had a greater impact and involvement in bringing some significant new job creation to Toronto.  I certainly supported his position that Toronto not bid on the Olympics – that exercise has proven to be an economic noose around the necks of those municipalities who have hosted past Olympic games.

On the other hand, he has backtracked on several of his election proposals so far, such as contracting out garbage collection east of Yonge Street and reducing traffic congestion.  He still dilly-dallies about the future of the Gardiner Expressway, and is not forceful enough in insisting on the police budget being decreased to a rational level, or keeping taxes in level with the rate of inflation.

Word has recently filtered out that he may introduce a new municipal tax – what else is new?!  He should instead bite the bullet and show leadership by making the tough calls on budget cuts from the various departments. I believe the rate of taxation for both the provincial and Toronto Land Transfer Taxes should be decreased.

Compared to former Mayor Ford, he is the polar opposite, and to his credit, has effectively removed the impression of City Hall as being the old Wild West Dodge City; or in more modern times the “theatre of the absurd”.