posted on October 09, 2007

Mayor Threatens Rink Cuts if no New Taxes Passed

No new taxes, no early rinks, mayor warns

By: JEFF GRAY
Published: OCTOBER 3, 2007
Source: theglobeandmail.com

The budget-crunching decision to delay opening the city's 49 outdoor ice rinks - cancelling Christmas-break hockey, shinny and pleasure skating - will not be reversed, Mayor David Miller said yesterday, unless city council votes for his controversial tax plan.

"If we get the taxes through then maybe it will ease the pressure a little bit," he told reporters. "... If we don't get them through then, you know, it's not just rinks, it's the whole range of parks and rec service that will be at issue."

The mayor said the cuts to rinks, which city staff say will save $160,000, were made because parks and recreation is one of the handful of departments where the city has a free hand to make cuts.

In other departments, the city has less room to make cuts because in some cases, such as welfare and daycare, the province sets standards and covers a share of the costs.

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