Item - 2015.BU3.4

January 28, 2015

The Chief Executive Officer and the Head of Finance, Toronto Transit Commission gave a presentation on Toronto Transit Commission - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2024 Capital Budget and Plan.

The Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, the Acting Treasurer, the Chief Corporate Officer, and the Chief Information Officer gave a presentation on Internal Services - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2024 Capital Budget and Plan.

The Chair welcomed the Grade 5 students from Orde Street Public School.

January 29, 2015

The Chair, Toronto Police Services Board, the Chief Administrative Officer; the Deputy Chief, Community Safety Command, and the Director, Finance and Business Management, Toronto Police Service gave a presentation on Toronto Police Service (including Parking and Board budgets) - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2024 Capital Budget and Plan.

The Chair welcomed the Grade 5 and Grade 6 students from Palmerston Avenue Public School.

The Auditor General gave a presentation on Auditor General's 2015 Operating Budget Request and 2015-2024 Capital Request and Plan.

The City Manager and the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer gave a presentation on Loss of Toronto Pooling Compensation for Social Housing - Budget Strategy.

The Chair welcomed the Grade 5 students from Birchcliffe Public School.

The Integrity Commissioner gave a presentation on Office of the Integrity Commissioner - 2015 Operating Budget.

The Lobbyist Registrar gave a presentation on Office of the Lobbyist Registrar - 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2024 Capital Request and Plan.

The Ombudsman gave a presentation on Office of the Ombudsman - 2015 Operating Budget.

The Director, Pan Am, City Manager's Office, gave a presentation on Toronto 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2024 Capital Budget.

The City Manager gave a presentation on City Manager's Office - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget.

The City Solicitor gave a presentation on Legal Services - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget and Plan.

The City Clerk gave a presentation on City Clerk's Office - Staff Recommended 2015 Operating Budget and 2015 - 2024 Capital Budget and Plan.

The following schedule has been established for the consideration of the 2015 Capital and Operating Budgets:

Monday January 26, 2015 - Committee Room 1

- Citizen Centred Services "A"

- Affordable Housing Office

- Children's Services

- Court Services

- Economic Development & Culture

- Long-Term Care Homes & Services

- Parks, Forestry & Recreation

- Shelter, Support & Housing Administration

- Social Development, Finance & Administration

- Toronto Employment & Social Services

- Toronto Paramedic Services

- Toronto Public Health

- Toronto Public Library

- Association of Community Centres

- Yonge-Dundas Square

- Arena Boards of Management

- Theatres        - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

- St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

- Toronto Centre for the Arts

Tuesday January 27, 2015 - Committee Room 1

- Citizen Centred Services 'B'

- City Planning

- Waterfront Revitalization Initiative

- Fire Services

- Municipal Licensing & Standards

- Policy, Planning, Finance & Administration

- Engineering & Construction Services

- Toronto Building

- Transportation Services

- Rate Supported Programs

- Solid Waste Management Services

- Toronto Water

- Toronto Parking Authority

- Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

Wednesday January 28, 2015 - Committee Room 1

- Toronto Transit Commission

- Internal Services

- 311 Toronto

- Facilities Management & Real Estate

- Sustainable Energy Plan

- Fleet Services

- Information & Technology

- Office of the Chief Financial Officer

- Financial Services

- Office of the Treasurer

- Toronto Atmospheric Fund

- Toronto Zoo

- Exhibition Place

- Heritage Toronto

Thursday January 29, 2015 - Committee Room 1

- Toronto Police Service & Police Services Board

- Parking Tag Enforcement and Operations

- Accountability Offices

- Auditor General's Office

- Office of the Integrity Commissioner

- Office of the Lobbyist Registrar

- Office of the Ombudsman

- Pan Am Games

- Other City Programs

- City Manager's Office

- Legal Services

- City Clerk's Office

- City Council

- Office of the Mayor 

This report requests a Budget Committee recommendation for City Council to approve the Auditor General's Office 2015-2024 Capital Budget and Plan.  The Auditor General has never submitted a capital request and it is anticipated that this will be the only capital request submitted during the Auditor General's seven-year term.

The Auditor General's request is for $695,000 over the 10 year period for the state of good repair of the complaint management system and for the implementation of new audit management software.

1.         The plan includes a request for $565,000 to be funded over a two year period for the development of a replacement fraud and waste complaint management system for the Auditor General's Forensic Unit.

2.         A new audit management software that will improve staff efficiency in completing audits and result in the ability for staff to conduct and complete more audits at a cost of $130,000.

The Forensic Unit is integral to the Auditor General's Office and the fraud and waste complaint management database is a key component to enabling the Unit to conduct its work.  The current database is nearing the end of its useful life and has limited functionality.  The Auditor General will leverage the database system used by the Toronto Ombudsman's Office and customize it to meet unique needs of the Office.

Customizing the existing Ombudsman's complaint management system is required to meet specific workflow and reporting requirements of the Auditor General's Office.  The replacement system will provide a secure environment to track process and analyze fraud and waste allegations over the next 10 years.  

In off-election years, the Auditor General's budget is usually submitted to the Audit Committee in November, prior to submission to the Budget Committee.  The 2014 municipal election resulted in a compressed budget process time frame and as the first 2015 Audit Committee is scheduled for February 27, 2015 submission to the Audit Committee prior to the Budget Committee was not possible. 

As a result, an approved budget will be submitted at the February Audit Committee for information along with the Audit Work Plan.   

The Budget Committee Chair and the former Chair of the Audit Committee have been apprised of this change.

This report provides information relating to the 2015 budget for the Auditor General's Office and a recommended budget for approval by the Budget Committee.

The Auditor General's 2015 budget request is $4,716,600.  This equates to a $31.5 thousand (0.67 per cent) increase over the 2014 Council approved budget. 

In normal circumstances the budget of the Auditor General's Office would be tabled with the Audit Committee sometime in November, prior to submission to the Budget Committee.  Due to the election and the compressed budget process time frame, this was not possible.  The current process is consistent with the approach taken following the 2010 election.

Discussions were held with the City Clerk's Office and it was determined that a direct submission of the 2015 budget to Budget Committee would be appropriate.

The current Budget Chief and the former Chair of the Audit Committee have been updated on the approach being taken this year, and that is consistent in past practice.

This report seeks Budget Committee’s recommendation for City Council to approve the Office of Lobbyist Registrar’s 2015-2024 Capital Budget and Plan.  This 10-Year Capital Budget and Plan enables the Office of the Lobbyist Registrar (OLR) to continue to provide and maintain an accessible, publicly available online lobbyist registry as required by the City of Toronto Act, 2006, s. 165.  The Capital Budget and Plan totals $0.660 million over the period from 2015 to 2024 for a capital project for State of Good Repair and development of critical features of the Lobbyist Registry system.

This report requests that Budget Committee recommends that City Council approve the Office of the Ombudsman's 2015 - 2024 Capital Budget and Plan.  The plan includes a requirement of $1.230 million over the 10-year period for state of good repair maintenance of the case management system.

This report details information about the 2015 operating budget for the Office of the Ombudsman, including a recommended full-year 2015 operating budget of $2,110.5 thousand gross and net for approval by City Council.

The purpose of this report is to provide the Budget Committee with the 2015-2024 capital program request for the Toronto Police Service (the "Service").

The purpose of this report is to provide the Budget Committee with the 2015 operating budget request for the Toronto Police Service (the "Service").

The purpose of this report is to provide the Budget Committee with the proposed 2015 net operating budget for the Toronto Police Services Board ('the Board').

The purpose of this report is to provide the Budget Committee with the 2015 operating budget request for the Toronto Police Service - Parking Enforcement Unit.

This report provides a status update on the recommendations outlined in the staff report titled Vehicle Capital Reserve Contribution Shortfalls, dated November 21, 2013. The report projected the City's Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Reserve will be in a deficit position of $5.004 million by 2017 and highlighted the potential growth to the City's vehicle replacement backlog and increase in age of the vehicles due to the lack of adequate funding.

Following the November 2013 Report, Fleet Services and Financial Planning have developed and began to implement a strategy consisting of three point action plan in order to attain a multi-year plan that will eliminate the backlog of vehicle replacements and fund each division's optimal vehicle replacements requirements.

The strategy has already yielded positive results. Overall, the deficit balance of the Reserves has improved from the forecasted deficit position of $5.004 million at the end of 2017, to the current forecasted deficit position of $0.698 million at the end of 2019. As the strategy continues to be implemented, it will address the forecasted deficit prior to 2019 by optimizing replacement requirements with lifecycles, change in business practices, and balancing contributions with optimal replacements.

Replacing vehicles and equipment based on optimum life is one of the key pillars of a good fleet optimization model. As an asset begins to reach high operating hours and/or kilometres, unscheduled downtime and associated maintenance costs can begin to escalate. Timing of the replacement of vehicles and equipment is impacted by vehicle type, and the nature and intensity of its use. Effective lifecycle analysis and timely replacement are important for controlling vehicle costs, availability, reliability and safety.

The Toronto Board of Health on November 17, 2014, considered a report (August 1, 2014) from the Medical Officer of on Student Nutrition Program: Five-Year Plan Status Update and 2015 Operating Budget Request.

At its meeting on January 19, 2015, the Library Board considered the 2015 operating budget being recommended by City staff representing a 2.3% increase, which includes a $0.216 million cut to the collections budget and a proposal to standardize service hours at neighbourhood branches, with 24 branches losing hours and 31 branches gaining hours for a net increase of 28 weekly hours, for a saving of $0.290 million.

At the meeting, the Library Board adopted the following recommendation:

1.         reconfirms its rejection of the City staff-recommended cut to the collections budget of $0.216 million and changes to open hours at neighbourhood branches resulting in a savings of $0.290 million, and approves the following:

a.         revises the further reduction to the security guard budget from $0.513 million to $0.200 million for a revised annual budget of $1.313 million; and

b.         revises the increase in the draw from development charges reserve from $0.507 million to $0.306 million, for a revised annual draw of$3.476 million, to fund collections;

resulting in a revised 2015 operating budget request of$171.555 million net ($188.196 million gross), which maintains open hours and collections, and meets the City staff-recommended net budget increase of 2.3%.

As noted in the recommendation, the Board's revised budget represents a 2.3% increase, which is the same budget increase being recommended by City staff. Details of the Board revised 2015 budget are shown in the following table:

[See table in the letter (January 22, 2015)
from the City Librarian and Chair, Toronto Public Library Board]