Preparing for Your Toronto Budget Deputation
Key consideration: Your voice, story, and personal pitch help Council to know better. We are asking Toronto City Council to do better with our taxes, meet urgent needs in communities and create positive change to address systemic and institutional racism.
Remeber to: email your Councillor a copy of your written comments to inform them that you spoke at the Budget Committee, and this is what you had to say. Emailing your written remarks is an important step to ensure that your Councillor knows you are not someone who only sends an email, but you are active, engaged and will continue to speak up. Flex your political power!
P.S. If you feel comfortable, please share your comments with SURJ Toronto; this will allow us to post on SURJ-Toronto social media channels and inspire others to write to their Councillor and demand change. Email surjto.campaigns@gmail.com
Tips for Preparing Your Comments and Delivery
TIMING: Although you may have up to five minutes, time is often cut, so keep your comments to three minutes total. Be sure to practice and speak slowly.
QUESTIONS: Committee members have the right to ask questions; don't feel you have to answer as an expert. You are a resident, have a concern and are demanding change. Remember that councillors are accountable to you – you are not accountable to them, so express your views.
DELIVERY: Practice in advance in front of a friend, family member, another Mobilizer or someone from SURJ-Toronto – we are here to support you!
INTRO: Do a brief introduction, your name, ward/neighbourhood, maybe what sector your work in, or how you are involved and active in the City. If it's your first time, you should mention that; this is a way to explain your motivation to speak out and get active. *Don’t mention organizations unless you are speaking for them.
COMMENTS: Focus your comments on a single issue, be concise, clear and pointed. Be personal and share an experience or story that motivated you to be engaged with the budget process in your City.
Be sure to say the main demand clearly – defund Toronto Police Services in 2021 by 50% and reallocate that 50% of funding to meet community needs and strengthen public services for marginalized communities, Black, Indigenous, racialized and poor, no income and low-income folks.
Emphasize why this demand is crucial for you and what it will mean for our City.
Always go back to your lived experience, what you see, feel, have heard and why change is essential. You don't need to research or know how the budget should be balanced; that's not your job. It is our role to tell elected officials what you want and need – they work for us!
Main Messages
Policing levels are unacceptable. In Toronto, there is an unacceptable use of police services; it is unnecessary! These services frequently do a disservice to respond to community needs and calls for safety.
Police use is harmful. When police are called into situations that require social workers, counsellors, health professionals, mental health professionals, we have seen that the response has proven to be harmful to individuals, families and communities, and it has resulted in the death of Black people. We need to evaluate how police services are used.
Toronto Police Services is overfunded. The Toronto Police Services is the single largest section of the budget and Council has continuously allocated funding to it. In 2021 there was no increase in the Toronto Police Services budget, but it was still the single largest expense, and the gap in chronic overfunding would remain. We need a reduction and reallocation but the Toronto Police Services is asking for an increase to its budget.
NOTE: Policing has more funding than the budgets for Toronto Community Housing; shelters, support and housing services; transportation; employment and social services; and libraries combined. Many policing resources are spent on victimless crimes resulting from poverty and systemic injustice, i.e., transit fare evasion.
City Council must work for us and question who are Toronto Police Services providing safety? Defunding the police service by 50% does not mean that our safety is compromised. The demand to defund is rooted in the documented, researched and lived reality of Black people in Toronto that have witnessed how police have failed in creating safety or addressing social problems. We need direct investments in community services that have proven to be more effective at addressing social and community needs.
To create real and meaningful change Council must be bold. Councillors must not approve any increase but more towards detasking and defunding the police.