DECEMBER 9, 2007: THE TORONTO SUN

Searching for city savings 

Review panel may be sincere but ineffective

                                                   By SUE-ANN LEVY

The head of Mayor David Miller's much-vaunted fiscal review panel says they're "hard at work" trying to come up with recommendations to "hopefully help the city."

Blake Hutcheson, president of CB Richard Ellis Ltd., told me last week he and the five other panel members have been meeting as a team at least twice a week since being appointed in October and have had access to "full financials" and virtually anything they've asked for.

"The city has been very, very forthcoming and very helpful," he said. "The mayor clearly instructed them to help us uncover every stone we feel is relevant."

I asked him whether they're focusing on specific areas -- for one, the city's huge and very costly union contracts (all of which come up for renewal in 2008).

He said they're taking a "broad look" at the city and are also taking some "deep dives" into critical areas, but refused to say which areas would be touched.

"We're looking at everything and we'll ingest it and we'll come up with a set of recommendations we hope will be helpful," he said, noting they'll do their best to affix cost figures to "many" of their recommendations.

He added they're still on target to deliver a report in February.

"I think everyone on the panel is generally interested in helping the city," he said. "We're trying to be very objective and take an honest look."

I have no doubt Hutcheson is sincere. He was highly praised as a "straight shooter" last week by Coun. Karen Stintz.

Nevertheless, I remain as skeptical as I was on Oct. 18 when Miller announced the exercise, in my view, solely to encourage council's fence-sitters to vote for his two controversial City of Toronto Act taxes.

For one thing, I can say with certainty the panel members have been handed reams of paper and reports on the city's fiscal status. Or should I say they've been fully briefed on the financial "spin" according to Miller, his compliant budget chief Shelley Carroll and the rest of the gang.

But as Hutcheson conceded, they have a "litany of responsibilities" outside of the panel. I suspect they simply don't have the time to sift through the hyperbole and won't be in a position to "peel back the layers of the onion" to find the real savings, as Coun. Mike Del Grande puts it.

And let's be realistic. As he did when he first announced the panel, Miller continues to stubbornly insist his regime is a finely tuned machine. In his terms of reference for the panel, released late last week, it is noted that the city is not only the subject of regular value-for-money audits but has a "commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

"Nonethless perceptions continue that Toronto has not done enough to contain costs and ensure value for money in administration and in services delivered to the public," the terms of reference also state.

Oh, those Millerties truly are a laugh a minute. I think we should insert a deep sigh here for a regime that is doing all it can but is just grossly misunderstood!

Seriously, however, what this suggests to me is that even if Hutcheson and his team come up with valid recommendations, the mayor will refuse to listen.

Coun. Case Ootes feels the panel must look at employee wage increases that have been rising more than the rate of inflation and City Hall's Fair Wage policy which restricts contracts with the city to union shops.

"You have to bring the unions under control and create an environment of competitiveness," he told me last week.

Stintz, who's determined to meet with Hutcheson in person to voice her concerns, insists there also needs to be a "strategic policy" with respect to how the city's vast pool of assets are managed.

I asked Ootes if he felt the panel would address these serious issues -- or whether, like me, he thinks it is just a PR exercise.

"They have to address these issues because those are the issues that, if changed, will give taxpayers better value for money," he said. "If they don't, I'm not sure that they've really addressed the problems of this city."