Councillor Perks asks when the library first developed its “Open Hours” plan to expand hours.

2006, say library staff.

“So this is an 18-year promise we’re beginning to fulfill this year?"

Sure is, say staff.

“I just want to confirm you’re happy with the 6.9% property tax increase?” Burnside asks Chow.

“No one is ever happy when we’re asking people to pay more, but at this point we have to fix the city, because we’ve had many years of not investing,” says the mayor.

"Thank god we did not raise fares," says Chow of the fare freeze in this year's budget.

"Before I arrived here, it was a downward spiral. TTC fares go up, less people ride it, service declines, and guess what? It just keeps going," she says.

Pasternak says they are building a new daycare, library and a Housing Now site in his ward. "Would it surprise you that all of those were funded at a time when we were raising taxes at or below the rate of inflation?" he asks Chow.

Chow says a lot of that was Section 37 funds.

"Can we at least agree that investment in our communities, city building and having nice things for our city, occured in previous administration?" Pasternak asks.

Chow says sure, there was some investment in new things, but also neglect of repairing existing infrastructure.

Council takes a break from budgeting to go to lunch. But first, Nunziata invites all the women councillors to head upstairs to take a photo. They are all supposed to wear purple sweaters or jackets.

Anyway. Back at 2 p.m.

Carroll has pre-circulated a budget motion:

1. $150K - Strong Cities Summit
2. $210K - tree pruning
3. $290K - ravines
4. $810K - drop-in shelter services
5, 6. $725K - food security & $127K - FTE
7. $450K - parks
8. $150K - Little Jamaica
9. $80K - local procurement

The budget meeting resumes. Councillor Holyday rises. He offers motions. Five of them.

Buckle up.

Holyday has three motions giving options for TTC fare increases.

1. Raise fares by 25 cents, or
2. Raise cash fare by 35 cents, or
3. Raise fares by 10 cents.

Hoyday's other motions:

- Delete all enhanced spending in the budget. ($~60 million)
- Devote the $3 million put forward by Chow to a reserve fund, no new spending

Holyday says he took the bus to this meeting and was looking around and thought, "Not everybody on this bus can't afford to pay a little bit more for their fare increase."

"Why do we always go down to that level, to say and assume that everybody can't afford to be on there?"

Councillor Fletcher asks Bradford if his manufacturing sector stats also include warehousing, like Amazon facilities. Bradford won't really answer.

"Madame Speaker, the hysteria of my Council colleague aside..." starts Bradford.

Fletcher is NOT happy with that choice of words

Nunziata asks Bradford to apologize for calling Fletcher hysterical. Bradford does, but also asks Nunziata to uphold decorum with other members of council.

"Do we need a time out here?" wonders Nunziata. "We're really acting silly right now. Stop the bullying."

Councillor Fletcher says she hopes that everyone who will support Bradford's motion on the industrial tax rate will also protect lands zoned for employment.

"I wish I could believe that, but unfortunately, the track record has been convert, convert, convert for many councillors"

Mayor Olivia Chow moves three things.

1. Prioritize local food procurement
2. "Send a message to the president's right-hand person" by restricting Teslas from vehicle-for-hire grant program
3. Realize savings and improvements from parks operations audit, and report back

Councillor Holyday asks about the Telsa restriction. "Do I understand this as a sanction towards a particular individual?"

Holyday: "You know that Mr. Musk is a Canadian citizen?"

Chow: "...And?"

Bradford asks Chow if she'd just consider cancelling the whole zero-emission vehicle grant program for taxi and limo drivers, instead of just restricting Teslas.

Chow says she still believes in the importance of zero-emission vehicles, and some EVs are made in Canada.

Councillor Holyday has motions.

1. Consider tax increase at or below inflation next year
2. Bring back mechanical leaf collection.
3. Return "excess dividends" to taxpayers.
4. Look at ways to make Bike Share profitable.

Bradford says he can't support the residential property tax increase in this year's budget. "I don't think anyone is feeling like the city got 25% better over the last three years," he says.

"Mayor Chow's budget does not deliver value for money for taxpayers."

Council is back, and Councillor Josh Matlow has motions.

1. Report on a Community Benefit Charge Allocation Framework.
2. Make sure City Hall has enough in the reserve funds to weather a trade war.

Councillor Jon Burnside has motions.

1. Report on impact to property taxes if land transfer tax revenue went away.
2. Separate efficiencies from other kinds of savings in budget reports.
3. Request the TTC look for savings, and consider a fare increase next year.

It's time, at long last, to vote.

Councillor Bradford's motion to further reduce small business property taxes, paid for with an increase to bigger business commercial property taxes, FAILS 3-22.